ROOT-CLIMBERS. 53 
general name “aka,” but here a few popular names are suggested. 
The scarlet climbing-rata (Metrosideros florida), the giant of the group, 
has cable-like stems, sometimes 6 inches or more in diameter, covered 
with loose bark. It bears splendid scarlet flowers. The white 
climbing-rata (MV. albiflora), the clinging climbing-rata (M. scandens) 
(see text-fig., p. 52), the hairy climbing-rata (WM. Colensoi), and the 
common climbing-rata (MZ. hypericifolia) have white flowers, or, in the 
case of the two latter, pmkish. The last-named is especially common, 
being found in both the main Islands and in Stewart Island, growing 
not only on trees but also on the ground, where its stems may creep 
for many yards at a time and put forth roots at intervals into the soil. 
The crimson climbing-rata (M. diffusa), with beautiful rosy-crimson 
flowers, is practically confined to the Northern Botanical Province, 
as is also M. albiflora. 
With one exception the climbing-ferns are root-climbers: e.g., 
the chmbing-polypody (Polypodium diversifolium), whose leathery, 
dark-green, broad leaves, most diverse in form, are to be seen in 
abundance in most New Zealand forests, and the climbing hard- 
fern (Blechnum filiforme), with its woody stem and two quite dis- 
tinct forms of foliage-leaves on the one plant (fig. 42), a fern which 
is very common in all the drier lowland forests of the North Island 
and of those of northern Nelson and Marlborough. This species, 
before climbing, frequently creeps over the forest-floor, and at this 
stage the leaves are small. Later, as a liane, the much larger, 
differently shaped leaves are produced in great abundance (fig. 42). 
Coming next to the twining climbing-plants, there is the well- 
known supplejack (Rhipogonum scandens), a plant of the lily family, 
which forms close entanglements in most lowland forests (fig. 9). 
Originally many of these stems have wound round young trees, which 
have been strangled to death, while other stems have broken away 
from the branch to which they have clung. The two species of 
pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia), relatives of the common dock, are also 
winding-plants. They are easily recognized by their abundant soft, 
green leaves, and, when in fruit, by the small black nuts seated on 
a fleshy and almost transparent cup. Very frequently, as bush boys 
and girls well know, their rope-like stems hang swaying from the 
forest-roof, the original support long since vanished. The same thing 
happens, too, in the case of the bush-lawyer (Rubus australis) and 
its relatives by the time their stems have reached their full size 
