THE BUCKTHORN TO THE SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 169 
The buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) includes*the thorny Discaria 
and the North Island genus Pomaderris. 
Stackhousiaceae contains in New Zealand only a most tiny plant 
with yellow flowers, Stackhousia minima, which when in bloom fills 
the montane tussock-grassland for chains at a time with delicious 
fragrance. 
The geraniums, or cranesbills, belong to the family Geranzaceae. 
They are generally rather insignificant, though their first cousins the 
pelargoniums of gardens, incorrectly termed “* geraniums,” are amongst 
the most showy of plants. Some authorities place the genus Ozalis 
in the above family, but others place it in a family by itself, the 
Oxalidaceae. New Zealand has only 2 species of Ozalis, the beautiful 
white Oxalis magellanica and a huge aggregate species, O. corniculata. 
To the pea family (Leguminosae) belong the New Zealand 
brooms (Carmichaelia), of which there are 22 species, all with remark- 
able contrivances against drought. Closely related to Carmichaelia 
are the endemic genera Corallospartium, Notospartium, and Chordo- 
spartium. Here also comes the yellow kowhai (Sophora microphylla 
and its allies), and a rare mountain-plant, Swainsona novae-zelandiae, 
of Australian affinities. Then there is the parrot-bill (Clinathus 
puniceus), which is related to Sturt’s desert-pea of central Australia. 
The rose family (Rosaceae) lacks in New Zealand the true roses, 
but is represented by the genera Rubus (5 species or more), to which 
belong the bush-lawyers; Geum (7 species, all but one mountain- 
plants); Potentilla (1 species); and Acaena, containing 9 species, 
to which belong the different species of piripiri—plants very unlike 
roses. The common piripiri (Acaena Sanguisorbae) is a large aggre- 
gate species made up of many varieties, some of which are easy to 
recognize. 
The pitchy-seed family (P2ttosporaceae) is common in forests. 
The genus Pittosporwm can be recognized by the generally large 
capsules, which, when they open, contain black seeds embedded in 
a very sticky substance. The kohuhu (P. tenwifoliwm in several 
varieties), so largely used as a hedge plant, is wrongly called 
““matipo”’ by the gardeners, this being the name for various species 
of Suttonia. 
Saxifrages (Saxifragaceae), plants so essentially alpine, are wanting 
in New Zealand; but there are some forest-trees belonging to the 
family—e.g., the putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus). The kamahi 
