112 The Biology of the Lowland Plants. 
b. Shrubs. 
There are 74 species of shrubs 67 of which are erect and spot-bound, 
7 wandering, 35 tall (3 m or more), 22 of medium height (r m—3 m) and ı7 small 
(less than ı m). About 46 species may be considered mesophytes and 28 semi- 
xerophytes or, in a few cases, xerophytes, these two latter plants of the open 
though a few occur also in the forest. Some 17 species pass through a distinct 
juvenile form but in most cases this does not persist for any notable length 
of time‘). 
The following are the growth-forms of the shrubs and the number of 
species to each: — Bushy-shrub ı9; divaricating-shrub 14; flat- or round- 
stemmed leafless ı0; erect straggling 7; semi-ball-like 7; shrub-composite 6; 
prostrate 3°); creeping with subterranean rhizome 2; Dracophyllum-form 2; 
tuft-shrub 3 (2 ferns®)) and bamboo-form ı (with stout rhizome). 
The branchlets of the shrubs may be divided into, — stiff or er 30; 
slender or twiggy 26 and moderately stout ı5. The bark is, in nearly all cases, 
quite thin. The trunk of Blechnum Fraseri varies from about 30—7ocmin 
height and is not thicker than a moderately stout walking-stick. From its base 
numerous runners pass off extending horizontally just beneath the surface of 
the ground and at a distance of some ıo cm a young plant is produced which 
develops first a trunk and then runners so that extensive, dense colonies are 
formed by vegetative increase alone. The trunk of 7odaea barbara is short 
but massive and thus quite unlike the tall, slender trunk of a typical tree-fern. 
Many of the shrubs, especially the xerophytes, root deeply. The species 
of Veronica readily produce adventitious roots from near the bases of the stems, 
so that a shallow-rooting mass of roots is formed. 
The leaves ofthe shrubs may be characterised as follows: — compound 7, 
simple 57, very small*) 30, small 14, medium ı0, large 7, very large 3, thick 
or coriaceous 37, thin 27, glabrous 43, hairy 2ı (tomentose ı3), glossy 6, decid- 
uous 4, cupressoid 2, grass-like 2 and ericoid 5. The deciduous shrubs are 
2 species of Carmichaelia and 2 species of divaricating Olearia all of which 
lose their leaves in the autumn. 
ec. Lianes. 
Here, not merely the purely lowland species are dealt with, but all that 
oceur in the lowland-lower- mountain belt. The New Kenland lianes are of 
ee interest since they are not a | numerous and of great physiognomic 
ı) The xerophytic leafless spp. of Carmichaclia pass through a a mesophytie stage; Mel- 
cope Bessgr and Nothopanax anomalum have ternate leaves as see s and Dracophyllum Ur- 
villeanı; wider, more spreading leaves when juvenile. 
2) ge herbaceous ferns frequently develop trunks, especially (taking the lowland-moun- 
tain ferns also into consideration): — Blechnum werrlt, B. fluviatile, Dryoßteris pennigera and 
Leptopteris superba 
3) The other 2 wandering are included in bamboo and tuft-shrub forms, 
4) The dimensions as for the trees, but in all cases the area of the ea is considen 
so arg longer or katze than the specified length may be included. 
