318 | ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
servation, will be stirred most as he enters the forest or “bush” where 
abounds the native New Zealand flora, so rich in plants found in no 
other country—that is, the endemic species. (See pls. 2 and 3.) 
Besides the grassland, scrub, and bush he will see other plant forma- 
tions. The extensive plantations of trees, all planted in rows of uni- 
form age, are very impressive. The species so grown are all exotics, 
that is, not native to New Zealand, the principal one being the Monte- 
rey pine (Pinus radiata), a useless tree in its native California, but 
here by far the most economically important tree to be found. Not 
only does it occur in plantations, but it is to be found almost every- 
where as a hedge tree or windbreak (pl. 9, fig. 1) and even as a 
naturally planted weed invading wasteland. 
It is essential in understanding the peculiarities of the flora of New 
Zealand to know its location and climate as contrasted with that of 
more familiar areas. The vegetation or the major plant formations 
will then be discussed, after which the flora or the elements which 
compose the vegetation will be taken up. Finally some consideration 
will be given to the past and present study of botany in the country. 
LOCATION AND CLIMATE 
New Zealand extends from about the 34th to the 47th parallel south 
latitude, a distance of about 900 miles. (Fig. 1, and fig. 2, p. 333.) 
It consists essentially of three islands, North, South, and Stewart 
Islands, with a few small nearby islands or islets. There are several 
outlying island groups, politically and biologically part of New 
Zealand, of much interest, but they are not included in this discussion. 
For vivid geographical comparison, suppose the three main islands of 
New Zealand were inverted and superimposed on North America at a 
corresponding latitude, with the North Cape of North Island at Cape 
Lookout about the center of the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. 
Then the South Cape on Stewart Island would lie north of Quebec in 
Canada. The East Cape at the end of the Grisborne Peninsula of 
North Island would be in southern West Virginia, and Mount Egmont 
at Harpers Ferry, W. Va. Wellington, at the southern end of North 
Island, would be in west-central Pennsylvania, and Christchurch on 
the east side of South Island would be on the shore at the east end of 
Lake Ontario. Both areas are in temperate zones of the earth’s 
surface, but their climates are in striking contrast. Eastern North 
America has a continental climate with extremes of temperature and 
a moderate, irregular precipitation. New Zealand, however, has a 
strong oceanic climate with far milder temperatures throughout and 
a much smaller difference in temperature between the northern and 
southern ends and between winter and summer. The precipitation is 
fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, although it varies 
from place to place. New Zealand owes its climate to the unifying 
