CoLEXSO. — Boknuj of the JV'orth Island of New Zealand. 270 



strongly recommended the bark of that tree as " deserving extensive 

 adoption into nledicine." Several dye-lichens are abundant in the island, 

 viz. Usnea, Bamalina, and Parmelia (P. conspersa, saxatilis, ])arietina, and 

 perlatd). The pure semi-liquid gum found in such large quantities at the 

 bases of the leaves of the Noav Zealand flax may yet be collected and form 

 a matter of export ; and Zoster a — useful for stuffing mattresses — (the 

 recently proposed substitute in England for manufacturing paper), is very 

 plentiful in many of our tidal waters. 



(29.) Having thus briefly noticed the utile, the dulce must not be over- 

 looked ; rather, in the words of Groethe, "Let us look closely after the 

 beautiful, the useful Avill take care of itself." Not a few of the plants and 

 ferns of New Zealand have long been cultivated in England, from the time 

 of her first British visitors, and the number of those plants is annually 

 increasing. Still, several highly ornamental and striking plants, chiefly 

 confined to forests in the interior, or to sub-alpine solitudes, are believed 

 to be unknoAvn both to European and to colonial gardens. The most 

 prominent and worthy of them will be now mentioned : — (1.) Laege Shkubs 

 A]S"D Small Teees : Fittosporiom, several species ; Solieria populnea, and 

 a. li/alUi, with their several strongly marked ornamental varieties ; Melicope 

 simplex; Fliehalium nudum ; Leptospermum ericoides ; Myrtus, two or three 

 species ; Ixerha Irexioides ; Seiiecio, several sp. ; Leucopogon fasciculalus , and 

 its varieties; Dracophyllum latifolium ; Lihocedrus doniana, and Dacrt/dium 

 colensoi. (2.) Small Sheubs : Carmiclicelia odorata and C flagelliformis ; 

 FucAsia procumhens ; Alseuosmia, several sp. and vars. ; Coprosma, several 

 sp. ; Olearia, several sp. ; Senecio greyii ; Gaultlieria, several sp. ; Cya- 

 tliodes colensoi; Dracophyllum, several sp. ; Veronica, several sp. ; Pimelea 

 several sp. ; and Gordyline, two or three species. (3.) Heebaceous 

 Plants : JRanunculus insignis and B. nivicola, among the largest species 

 of the genus ; Drosera hinata ; Aciphylla colensoi ; Gelmisia, several 

 sp. ; Colensoa pltysaloides ; Wahlenhergia saxicola ; Gentiana montana and 

 G. pleurogynoides ; Galceolaria sinclairii ; Ourisia, several sp. ; Gallixene 

 parviflora ; Forstera hidioillii ; Helophyllum colensoi; and several of the 

 peculiar orchideous plants, both terrestrial and epiphytical. 



30. Lastly, of indigenous medicinal plants and vegetable substances, a 

 few will be here mentioned — a future time may prove their value. 



(1.) Those udiich have already heen usefully tried : — The root of the hara- 

 keke {Fhormium tenax) as an anthelmintic and cathartic ; the leaves and 

 bark of the kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectahile) as a tonic ; the roots of the 

 kareao (Rhipogonuin parvifloruni) as an alterative, — this plant is very closely 

 allied to the sarsaparilla plant (Smilax sarsajjarilla) , and its roots have been 

 beneficially used in New Zealand instead of that medicine, which is so 



