118 The Biology of the Lowland Plants, 
moderately thick cuticle; the upper epidermal cells are remarkably large and 
the mesophyli is undifferentiated and consists of spheroidal cells their long 
axis parallel to the epidermis. 
e. Parasites. 
Here, for convenience, all the New Zealand higher parasites are dealt 
with numbering ı7, of which ıı are shrubs and 6 herbs‘'). E 
The shrubby species differ in height, ı reaching more than 3 m, 3 more 
than ı m, 2 about go cm and 5 not more than ı5 cm. In habit 5 are dense 
bushy-shrubs, ı open and rather straggling and, of the small species, 2 are 
generally but little branched but the other forms tufted masses. All are 
hemi-parasites; none are restricted to one host?). Biologically these shrubs 
fall into two classes, the one where the seedling at once sends down a root 
into the tissues of the host and! the other where this does not happen but a 
lateral root is developed which eventually branches, and, at intervals, puts 
suckers into the tissues of the host, while at such points aerial shoots may 
A 
first the endemic T7uperia and Korthalsella. In all cases, the main shrub 
occurs where the seed has germinated. In the case of Loranthus micranthus 
the lateral root may follow the course of a branch or it may also descend 
the main stem and eventually reach the surface of the ground, the descending u 
root resembling in appearance a liane. Öccasionally the root-tip may leave 
the branch altogether in which case it does not descend to the ground but 
bends back towards the branch. Where the suckers enter the host consider- 
able swellings occur. The species of Loranthus, Elytranthe and Tupeia are 
abundantly leafy, those of Korthalsella are leafless. The leaves of 5 of the 
species may reach 7 cm in length, but of ı only 3 cm; in all cases they are 
green and glabrous and, except for 7upeia, thick and coriaceous. The stems 
of Korthalsella Lindsayi and K. clavata are jointed and flattened, the joints 
8 cm or more long by 5 cm or so broad, coriaceous and dark-green. Ä. sali- 
cornioides has also jointed stems but they are succulent, virtually terete and 
only about ı mm in diam. Two of the species of Elytranthe have extremely 
showy scarlet flowers. 
The herbaceous parasites belong to three distinct classes; all are holo- 
parasites. The 3 species of Gastrodia are earth-orchids with slender, straight, 
erect, unbranched, pale-coloured stems varying, according to the species, from 
30—go cm or more in height and extremely long, brittle, fleshy tuberous roots 
._ are parasitic on the roots of certain forest-plants. 
1) Phrygilanthus tenuiflorus and P. Raoulii have been seen by no living N. Z. botanist. 
either ir si/u or as herbarium specimens; so, though included in Pe above total they are excluded 
from what follows, : 
2) Loranthus micranthus is not Er parasitie on a number of indigenous species but also 
on certain introduced trees, e.g, — the plum, pear, poplar, la burnum &c. Tupeia antarctica \s 
occasionally parasitic on Z. micranthus and Elytranthe tetrapetalus (see Kırk an 329, 4 ze 
erhaps restricted to Nothofagus eiffertinidr and N. Solanderi 
