﻿Kirk. — On the Habit of the Rata. 267 



ovate, pubescent ; petals recurved, reddish bvovi^n or chocolate coloured ; 

 ovary hii'sute ; style slender ; stigma 2-lobed ; capsules ovate, acuminate 

 at both ends, with slightly flattened sides ; valves faintly 2-lobed. 



Sub-species ovatum. Leaves obovate or ovate-acuminate, spreading, 

 l|^"-2''' long, pubescent beneath. Flowers not seen ; capsules 2-4, in ter- 

 minal clusters ; peduncles stout, |^'-f " long, globose, downy, 2-valved. 



North Island. P. elliptiGum — Manaia Hills; ovatum — Whangaroa 

 North, Manaia Hills, T.K. ; western part of the Titirangi district, T.K. 



Flowers in October. 



The dense ferruginous pubescence covering the young twigs, leaves, 

 and inflorescence, give this species a singular appearance in the spring 

 months. 

 16. F. eugenioides, A. Cunn. In forests throughout the islands. 



Flowers in August, 



I am informed by Dr. Hooker that several of the New Zealand 

 species produce self-sown hybrid forms freely under cultivation in the 

 south of France. 



Art. XLVI. — On the Habit of the Rata (Metrosideros robusta). 

 By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 



\Read before the Auckland Institute, 6th JVovember, 1871.] 



The occurrence of several climbing species of Metrosideros in New Zealand, 

 coupled perhaps with the native application of the name " Kata " to the 

 majority of species both scandent and erect, has led to a singular eiTor in 

 connection with the form now under consideration, afibrding a marked instance 

 of the readiness with which erroneous statements relative to natural phe- 

 nomema are accepted and repeated, although the exercise of a small amount of 

 observation would sufiice to detect the fallacy. 



Few persons can have travelled amongst settlers in a forest district in the 

 noi'th without having their attention attracted by distorted giant Ratas, and 

 hearing the commonly received opinion that these immense trees were 

 originally weak climbing plants, the stems of which increased in bulk until 

 they killed the fostering tree which had supported them, and ultimately 

 united to form a solid trunk, perhaps some sixty or seventy feet in length, 

 and with the branches perchance attaining a total height of 100 feet. The 

 frequent repetition of these statements has led to the error being reproduced 

 by many supei-ficial writers on New Zealand, although in the original " Flora 

 Novse Zelandise," published twenty yeai'S ago, the plant is correctly described 

 as never climbing. I copy, almost at random, the following extract respecting 



