1 50 



PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



l)uzzle(i by their leseiiiblance to fungi, that the)- considered 

 them to be in some fasliion crosses between a fungus and a 

 flowering plant. Sucli an idea, of course, appears ridiculous in 

 the light of modern knowledge. Crosses or hybrids only occur 

 between closely allied forms. The Balanophoraceae are true 

 flowering plants, that have become highly specialized in 

 order to maintain their existence. Although they mimic 

 fungoid growths, they are no more closely related to the 

 fungi than penguins are to flshes. 



Fig. 42. Dactyhinthns, troTti Ta^ylor^ti Ncir Zraltnnl . 



Dactylanthus Taylopi (Taijlor's DactylaiUhiix). 

 There is only one representative of the order in New 

 Zealand, DactijIaittJnts. This solitary species forms a distinct 

 tribe by itself. Tt was originally discovered in New Zealand by 

 the Eev. R. Taylor in 1857, growing on roots of Pittoaponim and 

 NotJiofagus, somewhere near the head waters of the Wanganui. 

 Since then it has been met with on several occasions, in widely 

 difl'erent parts of the North Island ; but it is evidently not 

 common. Mr. Tavlor describes it as havini)' an earth v and 



