^5'2 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



signifies ivrapped about, netted, — like lace, and the tree is so 

 called from the character of its inner bark. The settlers name 

 it lace-bark, ribbon-wood, or thousand-jacket. This inner 

 fibre is remarkably tough, and is, therefore, often used for 

 cordage. It is also beautifully perforated, and has been 

 employed for many ornamental purposes, such as trimming for 

 ladies' hats, basket work, etc. Lace-bark bonnets are said to 

 have been at one time fashionable in Nelson. The houhere 

 is one of the most beautiful of the small trees of the forest. 

 It is covered in autumn with a sheet of white, starry flowers, 

 which are often developed in such profusion as entirely to 

 conceal the leaves. There is a large number of recognized 

 varieties, but, as Dr. Cockayne has shewn, H. angustifoUa at 

 least should be regarded as a distinct species. It is found 

 only in the South Island, flowers earlier than the North 

 Island variety, and the seedling stages of each are different. 

 When several feet in height, it becomes like one of the 

 twisted shrubby Cop7'os?nas (v. Plagianthus betulinus, p. 256). 

 The branches are then wiry and interlacing, and the stems 

 reddish, not dark brown or black as in older specimens. 



Thousands of plants in this stage may be seen on the 

 Akaroa-Flea Bay Road. The North Island form does not pass 

 through a coprosma-like stage. The two varieties illustrated 

 will show the difference between H. populnea, var. vulgaris, 

 and var. angustifoUa. The former has broad, ovate, deeply- 

 toothed leaves, while those of the latter are long and narrow. 

 The Hoherias sometimes grow to a height of 40ft. 



The flowers are very beautiful, with snow-white petals and 

 numerous stamens. They are produced in fascicles in the axils 

 of the leaves, sometimes only two or three together, and 

 sometimes in bunches of from twelve to twenty. The stamens 

 are curiously arranged, being united, as in all the Malvaceae, 

 into a tube, but breaking apart again lower still into separate 

 bundles, each of which contains five or six stamens. The 

 fruit is dry, and the seeds pendulous. 



