﻿Kirk. — The British and New Zealand Floras comjmred. 247 



Astelia, from the Chatham Islands, doubtless identical with the form mentioned 

 by Dr. Hooker at page 744 of the "Handbook," and i^eferred by him to 

 A. Menziesii, Sm. In Baron Mueller's account of the vegetation of the 

 Chatham Islands, he refers a fruited specimen collected by Mr. Travers to 

 A. BanJcsii, as he incidentally points out that A. veratroides, Gaud., which is 

 identical with A. Menziesii, Sm., is distinct from Jt. Banksii ; it appears that the 

 specimen su.bmitted to him differs from those given to Dr. Hooker and myself, 

 but in any case the specimen in my possession cannot be identified with any 

 known New Zealand species. 



Art. XLIII. — A Comparison of the Indigenous Floras of the British Islands 

 and New Zealand. By T. Kirk, F.L.S, 



{Read before the Auckland Institute, 2Btli August, 1871.] 



The traveller who may expect to find some of the more remarkable plants of 

 the New Zealand Flora immediately on his arrival in the colony, will be sorely 

 disappointed on his first examination of the vegetation. This is not simply 

 because European plants have largely displaced indigenous kinds in the vicinity 

 of the seats of settlement, nor even because those plants which most steadily 

 resist the progress of the invaders are to some extent of the European type ; it 

 arises from the fact that, with a larger proportion of endemic plants in propor- 

 tion to its ax-ea than any other country, there are but few kinds, more especially 

 in the north, which give character to the landscape, and offer salient points for 

 general observation. The first peculiar plants observed by the new-comer are 

 the toe-toe and Phorynium, to these in the north must be added the magnificent 

 pohutukawa and the kowhara-whara ; the remainder of the hundreds of plants 

 peculiar to the colony must be sought in the damp forest gullies, or on the 

 lofty mountain ranges. 



But after the first feelings of surprise at the general resemblance of the 

 vegetation in the vicinity of the ports to the European type have passed away, 

 and the observations of our traveller are made over a wider range of country, he 

 finds the resemblance after all to be merely superficial, for at every step in the 

 forest he misses the bright forest flowers of the northern hemisphere : no wild 

 hyacinth or wood-anemone ; no primrose or cowslip ; no dead-nettles, wound- 

 worts, or hawk-weeds ; no roses, brambles, or willows ; but in their stead are 

 numerous small trees, shrubs, and ferns, often with flowers of curious structure 

 and strange leaves, from the slender karamu to the giant kauri and totara. And 

 the same rule holds good if the open country is examined. There are none of the 

 charming terrestrial orchids of Britain to be found on the grassy lands or 

 fern-clad hills, and although much of the lacustrine and uliginal vegetation 



