348 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



more in length. The whau {Entelea arhorescens) , also has 

 leaves of more than usual size. Of these species Brachyglottis is 

 the only one that is common. E?itelea is becoming rarer every 

 year, and Pisonia is local in its distribution, being confined to 

 Auckland Province. Obviously then, the large flaccid leaves, 

 characteristic of the Tropics, are not suitable for our colder 

 climate, though they seem to have been more common in New 

 Zealand once, than they are now. 



Myosotidium, indeed, would still flourish in the Chatham 

 Islands, were it not for the interference of man. Unfortunately, 

 it is more exposed to the attacks of enemies than most 

 members of the family. It differs, in the lack of barbed 

 bristles on the nuts, from the allied genus Cynoglossum, and 

 from most Boraginaceae, in the absence of the coarse hairs, 

 which is their marked characteristic. It has been suggested 

 that the lack of bristles and hairs is due to the fact that 

 Myosotidium has been evolved in the Chatham Islands, where 

 it has not required such protection ; but it is perhaps just as 

 reasonable to suppose that Myosotidium may have existed 

 elsewhere, and that it has been exterminated in other districts 

 owing to its lack of protection, or, more probably, to the 

 unsuitability of its huge leaves for its habitat. 



The plant is much cultivated in gardens in New Zealand, 

 and is then known as the Chatham Island Lily. A much 

 better name would be the Giant Forget-me-not. The great, 

 dark-green, glossy leaves form a striking contrast to the 

 masses of deep-blue flowers. It may be noted that blue 

 flowers are extremely rare in the New Zealand flora. Indeed, 

 the brightest blues are to be found in the flowers of the 

 outlying islands. No Veronica of the mainland has such a 

 depth of colour as Veronica Benthami of the Auckland Islands. 

 There is no such blue to be found amongst the native flowers 

 ■of either the North or South Island. Solanum aviculare is 

 violet to magenta, and Wahlenbergia is sometimes pale-blue. 

 The flowers of Colensoa and Lobelia are also more or less 



