CorzNso.— Botany of the North Island of New Zealand. 259 
now are, and at one time? ‘There, in its habitat, everything has for years— 
or ages—combined to favour the growth and spread of that plant; but, 
although flourishing, it has not spread. Are we to infer from its scarcity 
that it is but a creation of yesterday ? or the lingering relic of a past race ? 
or a new form, or a sportive hybrid of nature ? 
Lastly, may future varieties in certain species be hereafter the more 
reasonably expected to take place in New Zealand, or vice versd, through 
colonization, and through the introduction of congenerie plants of honey- 
making insects and of insectivorous birds ? 
* * * * * * 
IIL—(Ecoxowrc. 
23. In considering the economie botany of this island, the past should 
not be wholly omitted. It cannot, at least, be uninteresting to know some- 
thing of those plants which, for a long period, were of the utmost import- 
ance to the raee which preceded the colonist on these shores, and to which 
a large population was mainly indebted for food, for clothing, and for 
numerous articles of utility and of ornament. Such an inquiry, however 
brief, is become the more necessary from the fact that, owing to the great 
and growing disuse of many of those plants which were formerly prized and 
sought after, the knowledge of their qualities and uses is rapidly becoming 
forgotten. It is therefore proposed to show, with reference to the past— 
(i.) the plants used as food; and (ii) those of utility and ornament to the 
New Zealander of former days. 
(i.) The vegetable articles of food not introduced by Europeans, used by 
the natives of this island, were tolerably numerous, however inferior the 
qualities of many of them might be. Most, however, were only obtained 
through much labour, which, no doubt, contributed not a little towards the 
robust health of the consumers. Those food-yielding plants may be thus 
placed :—(1.) Main articles of food; and (2.) smaller fruits and vegetables 
commonly used, including those only resorted to in times of great scarcity. 
e main or staple articles of vegetable food were but few in kind. 
They comprised those cultivated and those which were wild. The cultivated 
vegetables were only three in number; and which, curiously enough, and 
like the garden produce of many other countries, were not indigenous. 
These were—two roots, and one gourd-like fruit; the kumara, or sweet 
potato (Convolvulus batatas), the taro (Caladium esculentum), and the hue, 
a large kind of gourd, a species of Cucurbita. Of the first, the kumara, 
they had a large number of varicties, widely differing from each other in 
quality, appearance, and colour; which, of itself, is a highly puzzling 
problem, seeing the plant in this country never flowers, Of this root, most 
