260 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



instability of form. Even those who beHeve that each species 

 has a certain definite type form, which is independent of 

 environment, will find themselves confronted with many 

 paradoxes amongst antipodean plants. 



Genus Hibiscus. 



Herbs or shrubs, with large and handsome flowers. A chiefly tropical genus. 

 Flowers axillary or terminal. Capsule 5-valved. {Hibiscus is the Greek name for 

 the flower.) 2 sp. 



Hibiscus trionum {The Starry Hibiscus). 



An annual or biennial herb, 1-2 ft. high. Stems rough with hairs. Flowers. 

 1 in.-l^ in. in diameter, straw-coloured, with dark eye. Calyx inflated, 

 membranous. Leaves palmately-lobed. From the North Cape to Whangarei, 

 local. South Island : West Wanganui. (The specific name literally means of 

 the constellation of the Wain) . 



Genus Gaya. 



Shrubs or small trees, with large white flowers. Leaves alternate, entire 

 About 7 species, one of which is endemic in New Zealand. (Called after the: 

 botanist. Gay.) 



Gaya Lyallii {The Large-floivered Bibbon-wood). 



A beautiful shrub, found only in the mountainous districts of the South 

 Island. This is one of the very few New Zealand trees which shed their leaves, 

 in the winter, and show autumnal tints. The leaves are clothed with stellate^ 

 hairs, and are deeply notched. South Island, sub-alpine. PI. Feb.-]\Iarch. 



This plant is one of the many sm-prises of the New Zealand 

 forest. The traveller, who sees for the first time its cherry- 

 like blossoms amidst the greenery of the bush, usually regards, 

 it as an escape from some garden. Its soft, tender, deciduous, 

 leaves are in strong contrast to the normal, hard, glossy 

 leaf of the typical trees of the New Zealand forest, whilst its. 

 flowers are equally different from the typical, minute, greenish 

 clusters of Nothopcmax, GriseUnia, Melicijtus, etc. 



Owing to a mistake of Sir Julius von Haast, it is generally 

 stated that the tree is deciduous only at high levels, but the 

 error has been recently corrected by Dr. Cockayne.'' The 



*Trans. XXXVII.. p. 368. 



