66 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
CHAPTER V. 
LOWLAND SHRUB - ASSOCIATIONS, HEATH, AND ROCK 
VEGETATION. 
New Zealand shrubs in general—Relationship between the shrub form and the 
tree form—The ramarama—FPersistent juvenile forms—Statistics regarding 
juvenile forms—The case of Pennantia—The behaviour of the kowhai— 
The pokaka, the mountain-currant, and koromikos in general — What 
experiment can do—The dwelling-places of the manuka—Manuka thicket— 
Tuberous-rooted orchids—Plants of the Auckland gumlands—The pumice 
shrublands—The new vegetation after a volcanic eruption—Manuka thicket 
of the South Island—‘ Wind-scrub ’—River-terrace scrub—Fern-heath— 
Rock-plants in general—Species common on rocks—Rock association of 
the East Cape Botanical District—The cliffs of the Wanganui River—The 
Olearia insignis association — Rock association of Banks Peninsula — 
A remarkable case of plant-distribution. 
In all gardens where a specialty is made of our indigenous plants 
it is not the trees which are there to be found, but rather the 
shrubs of the open country. Obviously, these latter are more easy 
to cultivate than forest-plants. But this in not the sole reason: it 
is special beauty of form or flower that has marked them out as 
of peculiar merit. In any large garden in the world New Zealand 
shrubs would deservedly occupy a prominent place. Moreover, they 
belong, in many instances, to families which have no shrubby repre- 
sentatives ‘n the Old World, whence nearly all ideas as to botanical 
form are derived. 
The germander speedwell is a pretty little creeping-plant of English 
lanes, with bright-blue flowers. It has relatives in the Old Country, 
and in other places in both hemispheres; but, with the exception 
of its New Zealand cousins, two others in Fuegia, and a couple 
in Australia and Tasmania, all are herbs, or at best only woody in 
part. Of the 120 or so New Zealand speedwells (called throughout 
this book ‘“‘ koromikos”’), 112 are woody; they vary in habit from 
plants a few inches high to forest-trees. Plants of the daisy family 
are usually herbaceous; but in a few regions, especially oceanic 
islands, shrubby forms occur, New Zealand being comparatively rich 
