124 NORTH AND SOUTH 



British Isles. So far, therefore, from furnishing an 

 exception to the rule, the distribution of the monkey- 

 flower tends to confirm it. 



There are, however, certain plants from southern 

 latitudes which, in the middle districts of this country, 

 compete successfully with our native weeds. Planted 

 out in our woods, the South African Monibretia Pottsi, 

 and its hybrids, with Tritonia and Crocosma, readily 

 establish themselves, and increase so rapidly by the 

 multiplication of corrns that they soon cover a consider- 

 able space of ground, suppressing weaker vegetation. 

 Other examples are two shrubby species of Veronica 

 from New Zealand, V. Traversi and parviflora, which 

 spring from seed in all parts of our garden borders, and 

 if let alone, form dense thickets. They are only pre- 

 vented from populating the woods by the presence of 

 rabbits, which greedily devour them. Another pair of 

 exceptions to the general rule occurs in the immense 

 family of Berberis, whereof two species, B. buxifolia 

 and B. Darwinii, both from South America, colonise 

 any suitable places in British woods and gardens as 

 freely as our native wild roses. Yet another pair 

 comes from South America to wit, Fuchsia globosa 

 and Tropceolum speciosum, both desirable aliens that 

 have established themselves as escapes from western 

 and northern gardens. 



Australasia is peculiarly rich in shrubs and herbs 

 of the Composite order, notably Senecio and Olearia, 

 and considering the enormous quantities of seed dis- 

 charged in floating clouds from shrubs of these genera 

 cultivated in British gardens, I have often felt surprise 



