38 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Sucli a hypothesis as this is at l)est only tentative, and its 

 chief vahie Hes in the stimulus it i^ives to research, and the aid 

 it affords in placing subsequent hypotheses on a more solid 

 foundation. There are numerous other problems of considerable 

 interest in connection with both the internal and external 

 distribution of our indigenous plants, but these will not be 

 dealt with here. 



B(3TANICAL INTEODUCTION. 



Plant Life. 

 At one time people spoke a.s if the life of the pjlarit were 

 (litterent from that of the animal. Tliere are few so ignorant 

 now as to think that a distinction can be drawn between 

 plant and animal life. The plant resp(.')nds to stimuli, 

 re[)roduces its kind, and grows, just as the animal does. 

 Moreover, every plant has the power of spontaneous motion as 

 a whole, or in some of its parts. Amongst the higher plants, 

 movements are confined to parts of the plant — the tendrils of 

 the \me twine ; the stamens of the barl^erry resp(.)nd to a 

 touch with a jumping motion ; the leaves of many plants close 

 at night ; others alter their position with the direction of the 

 light that falls upon them. In all, there are movements m 

 res[)onse to gravitation, and to the action of light, and in 

 connection with the processes of growth. In recent times 

 sensation has been claimed for iiiany plants. All apparently 

 have the power of " sensing " gravitation, and some have been 

 recently declared by Hal (erlandt to possess " ocelli " for perceiv- 

 ing light. However, the life of the plant is so remote from :ill 

 that man knows of himself, that he can never liope to do more 

 than realize its meaning very imperfectly, though it can 

 scarcely be doubted that the more fully he can appreciate it, 

 and the more fully he can enter into sympathy with it, the 

 more fullv will he understand himself. 



