its Character and Productions. 207 



grown abundantly on the cliffs of tlie northern coast, and on 

 the steep declivities of the hills inland. It is a large, hand- 

 some plant, with sedge-like leaves. It has not lately been 

 cultivated for economical purposes. We are assured,* how- 

 ever, that two New Zealanders were once introduced to 

 teach the people how to prepare it, but their process was so 

 tedious that the scheme was abandoned. 



The chief medicinal plants growing wild are the Datura 

 stramonium, Ricinus communis, and the Solanujn nigrum. 

 This latter is a fine, ornamental shrub, the berries of which, 

 reported poisonous in England, have been cooked and eaten 

 here with impunity. 



Many climbers of great luxuriance and beauty are seen 

 winding round the trunks of fern and forest trees, or hang- 

 ing in graceful festoons from stem to stem. The slender 

 Jasmine, Jasmi?ium gracilis, at home, a delicate hot-house 

 plant, is one of the most distinguished of this group. Its 

 twisted stems, of considerable thickness, may often be seen 

 hanging like ropes from the lower branches of the pine, or 

 white- oak, while its flowers cluster in the top. The rosy- 

 pink petals of the Ipomoea pendula, greatly resembling those 

 of the Convolvulus Major, and the purple and green pea- 

 flowers of the Wistaria, deserve especial notice. Two species 

 of passion-flower also grow in the Bush, and attract much 

 attention. 



Keserving for description presently the vegetable produc- 

 tions submitted to cultivation,Iwill now allude to the Animal 

 Kingdom. 



The Fauna of Norfolk Island is most insignificant. No 

 quadruped of any size is, I believe, indigenous, and the only 

 wild ones of the present day are cats, rats^ and mice. On 



* Backliouse, p. 256. 



