THE PROTEACEAE TO THE SEDGE FAMILY. yg 
found not only on various indigenous trees and shrubs, but on plum- 
trees, elms, hawthorns, laburnums, and some other introduced trees. 
The Proteaceae, that great Australian and South African family, 
is represented by only the rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) and the toru 
(Persoonia toru). 
The nettle family (Urticaceae) is remarkable for the great shrubby 
nettle (Urtica ferox). U. linearifolia is a scrambling climbing-plant. 
The beech family (Fagaceae) contains the southern-beeches (Notho- 
fagus), the subantarctic representative of the northern Fagus, this 
latter including the true beeches. 
This concludes, so far as this book is concerned, that division of 
the seed-plants which in the seedling state have two seed-leaves 
(dicotyledons). 
Among the division of the seed-plants which have only one seed- 
leaf in the seedling state (monocotyledons) the following may be 
noted :—- 
The orchid family (Orchidaceae), with about 60 species in New 
Zealand, is divided into those which root in the soil and those 
with aerial roots provided with a special tissue for absorbing such 
water as falls on them. The most important genera are Pterostylis 
(13 species), Thelymitra (12 species), and Corysanthes (8 species). 
The iris family (I7ridaceae) contains the easily cultivated and 
rather pretty libertias. JLibertia micrantha is a common plant of 
many montane and subalpine forests. 
The lily family (Liliaceae) contains the different kinds of cabbage- 
tree (Cordyline), and the New Zealand flax (Phormium), of which 
there are 2 species, P. tenax and P. Colensoi, as already noted. 
Here also come the genera Herpolirion and Astelia. 
The palm family (Palmae) has two representatives—the nikau 
(Rhopalostylis sapida) and the Kermadec nikau (R. Cheesemanii). 
The rush family (Juncaceae) is an extensive one, consisting of 
the alpine or subantarctic Roskovia, the true rushes (Juncus), and 
the wood-rushes (Luzula). This genus contains at least 8 species, 
but the aggregate species (Luzula campestris) can be split up into at 
least 10 more or less distinct varieties. 
The sedge family (Cyperaceae) is of considerable physiognomic 
importance in New Zealand generally, since it includes the nigger- 
head (Carex secta) and those huge forest tussocks, various species 
of Gahnia. In New Zealand the family contains 124 species, which 
