2O 



(11.) The Species of Gaultheria. 



This genus, which also occurs in North America, is repre- 

 sented in New Zealand by several beautiful hardy species. The 

 most striking is G. oppositifolia, a shrub of straggling habit, 

 2-6 ft. high, with stem-clasping thick ovate leaves i|-2|in. 

 long, and terminal panicles 2-4 in. long, bearing numerous 

 beautiful white flowers resembling those of the ' lily-of-the- 

 valley. 



G. rupestris is almost equally beautiful, and some forms 

 attain a height of 10 ft. 



G. depressa is a charming hardy creeping-shrub for the 

 rock-garden, with its large white berries. 



Under the name of G. antipoda there are a number of 

 distinct plants, mostly quite low shrubs, any of which are 

 desirable hardy plants. 



(12.) Helichrysum microphyllum. 



A remarkable plant of the aster family, it being of the 

 cypress form, with scale-like leaves pressed close to the 

 stems. It bears abundance of small yellow flower-heads. 

 The allied H. coralloides, a truly marvellous species, has much 

 thicker stems, with the leaves looking like glossy tubercles, 

 while the spaces between are filled with white woolly hairs. 

 H. Selago is intermediate between the above species. All are 

 quite hardy, but the two latter are not easy to cultivate. 

 In any case the rock-garden is the place for these curious 

 shrubs. 



(13.) The Species of Myrtus. 



The most important is the fairly hardy M. bullata, a hand- 

 some and uncommon-looking shrub, or even low tree, with 

 roundish reddish-brown leaves 1-2 in. long, the surface of 

 which is raised into blisters. The white flowers, Jin. in 

 diameter, are rather pretty. M. Ralphii is very similar, but 

 the leaves are much flatter. M. obcordata, also at times a 

 low tree, has very small obcordate leaves. M. pedunculata is 

 somewhat similar but smaller. The two last species may be 

 considered hardy. All the species are easy to cultivate. 



