202 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
CHAPTER XIII. 
THE AFFINITIES, ORIGIN, AND HISTORY OF THE FLORA. 
General remarks—Distribution of the kowhai—The endemic element of the 
New Zealand flora—Different degrees of endemism—The Australian element 
of the New Zealand flora—The Fuegian element of the New Zealand flora— 
List of species common to New Zealand and subantarctic South America— 
The Malayan element of the New Zealand flora—The European element of 
the New Zealand flora—The cosmopolitan element—Relation of the flora of 
Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands to that of New Zealand—The fossil flora 
of Antarctica—The New Zealand Tertiary fossil flora—How plants change 
their form—The history of the New Zealand flora—The New Zealand glacial 
period. 
So far, as recorded in this book, the plants have given fairly definite 
answers to the questions put to them. Where they have told little 
of their story it has been through lack of skill on the part of the 
questioner. Many parts of that story are concealed in their struc- 
ture or hinted at in their behaviour, and time alone is required to 
bring to light much that is hidden. But when it comes to seeking 
information about their birthplaces nothing definite can be learnt 
from the plants themselves. All they can tell is where their 
nearest relatives live at the present time. They cannot inform us 
whether their ancestors crossed the ocean to reach New Zealand, or 
whether it was over dry land that the journey was made. Perhaps, 
even, could they speak, we might learn from some of them that 
their remote ancestors were born on New Zealand soil. 
Take the case of the common kowhai (Sophora microphylla) for 
example. All that this plant can tell about the matter in question is 
that there are seven or eight different kinds of kowhais, differmg but 
slightly from one another. One of these races, the common kowhai 
tells us, lives in southern Chile, another graces Juan Fernandez, 
a third has its home on Kaster Island, several inhabit various parts 
of New Zealand (including the Chathams), and one lives secluded in 
Lord Howe Island. These different races of the kowhai are known 
by the aggregate name of Sophora tetraptera. The genus Sophora 
