EUCALYPTUS TREES. 367 
Phormium tenax, J. R. and G. Forster.*—The Flax- 
lily of New Zealand, where it occurs as far south as 
forty-six degrees and thirty minutes, occurring also 
in the Chatham Islands and Norfolk Island, though 
not on Lord Howe’s Island. It seems important that 
this valuable plant should here be brought universal- 
ly under culture, particularly on any inferior spare 
ground, or on the sea-beaches, or any rocky declivity, 
where it may be left unprotected to itself, as no pas- 
toral animal will touch it. It is evident that the 
natural upgrowth will soon be inadequate to the 
demand for the plant. Merely torn into shreds, the 
leaves serve at once in gardens and vineyards as cord- 
age; and for this purpose, irrespective of its showy 
aspect, the Phormium has been distributed from our 
Botanic Garden since the last 14 years. From the 
divided roots any plantation can gradually be increas- 
ed, or this can be done more extensively still by sow- 
ing the seeds. In all likelihood the plant would 
thrive and become naturalized in the Auckland’s and 
Campbell’s Group, Kerguelen’s Land, the Falkland 
Islands, the Shetland Islands, and many continental 
places of both hemispheres. Among the varieties, 
three are better characterized than the rest: The 
Tehore, the Swamp, and the Hill variety. The first 
and the last mentioned produce a fiber fine and soft, 
yet strong, and the plants attain a height of only 
about 5 feet, whereas the Swamp variety grows to 
double that height, producing a larger yield of a 
coarser fiber, which is chiefly used for rope or paper 
making. As might be expected, the richer the soil 
the more vigorous the growth of the plant ; it likes, 
moreoyer, now and then to be overflown by fresh or 
