180 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
something about the ways by which their competitors have been 
worsted—indeed, their story as told in this book has chronicled some 
of these matters. 
Before any question regarding distribution can be approached 
the first thing necessary is to get a true account of the distribution 
of the plants according to latitude and altitude throughout the New 
Zealand Botanical Region. This essential preliminary has been 
the business of the plant-collectors—an ardent brotherhood, far too 
little appreciated when their truly strenuous labours are considered. 
It is true that these labours will have to be continued for many 
years, since there are areas of considerable size still unexplored 
botanically, and no locality, as yet, has been thoroughly examined. 
All the same, the general details of New Zealand plant-distribution 
are now fairly well known. 
It has been possible tentatively to divide the New Zealand 
Botanical Region into a number of fairly natural botanical districts. 
Each district possesses its peculiar plants (both indigenous and intro- 
duced), its special plant-associations, and, to some extent, its special 
agriculture and horticulture. Climate, latitude, soil, and the age of 
the species partly account for some of the peculiarities of the dis- 
tricts, but they are also correlated with the geological history of the 
New Zealand archipelago. 
The divisions as proposed by the author two years ago in the 
“Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,” together with their 
names, may be seen upon the map on page 181; there is, then, no 
need to enumerate them here. The space will be better utilized by 
calling attention to a few interesting points concerning each district. 
Beginning at the north with the Three Kings Botanical District, 
its flora is quite small, but no fewer than six species are confined to 
the group. These are the fern Davallia Tasmani, the Three Kings 
milk-tree (Paratrophis Smithiz), the Three Kings karo (Pittosporum 
Fairchildir), Coprosma macrocarpa, and Veronica insularis. The puka 
(Meryta Sinclawii) and the cabbage-tree (Cordyline australis) are an 
important feature of the vegetation of the West King. 
Surprising as it may seem, there are more than 100 species of 
plants which either do not extend past latitude 38° S., or go beyond 
it only for a short distance. Some of these are trees, shrubs, and 
ferns characteristic of the forests of the North and South Auckland 
Botanical Districts. The following may be noted: The handsome 
: 
