72 NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 



ripen, but again produce flowers, so continuing ' 

 during the whole of the flowering season, with- 

 out ripening any fruit, having consequently a 

 curious anomaly of fruit producing flowers, in- 

 stead of flowers producing fruit. It has always, 

 during the time it has been planted in the gar- 

 den, exhibited this phenomenon, which was never 

 observed in the plant from which this was taken 

 at Rio. It must therefore be considered as a 

 curious anomaly in vegetation. 



The greatest importer and manufacturer of 

 New Zealand flax* in the colony is Mr. Maclaren. 

 I visited his extensive establishment, which had 

 just been completed on the north shore near 

 Sydney, for the cleaning and manufacture of the 

 flax into rope. He has also establishments at 

 New Zealand, from whence he imports the flax, 

 exporting some to England, and manufacturing 



* Captain Cook observes, '* Of this plant, there are two 

 sorts ; the leaves of both resemble those of flags, but the 

 flowers are smaller, and their clusters more numerous : in 

 one kind, they are yellow ; and in the other, a deep red." 

 This plant is also indigenous to Norfolk Island, which, in 

 its vegetation, partakes more of New Zealand than the Aus- 

 tralian continent. Captain Cook observes, that at Norfolk 

 Island, " we observed many trees and plants, common at 

 New Zealand, and, in particular, the flax plant, which 

 is rather more luxuriant here than in any part of the 

 country." 



