16'2 PLANTS OP NE^V ZEALAND 



GemiH Gleiuatu. 



Shrubs climbing Ijy twining petioles, with opposite compound leaves. 

 Flowers dicecions. Corolla wanting, sepals petaloid. (Name from the Greek, 

 signifying a vine-shoot) . 9 sp. 



Two peculiarities of New Zealand plants are well illustrated 

 by this genus. (1) A large number of our flowers are green 

 and inconspicuous, or at least not brightly coloured ; (2) an 

 unusually large proportion of the species have stamens and 

 pistils on different individuals. 



The genus Clematis in other lands contains many species, 

 which are blue, purple, or yellow. New Zealand has nine 

 species. Two of these have white flowers ; in the remainder 

 the flowers are greenish-yellow or j'ellowish. In none are 

 they brightly coloured, and this lack of colour one finds 

 throughout the flora. The New Zealand violets are white, 

 the gentians are nearly all white, the flax proper (Linnm 

 moiiogynum) is white. The corresponding species in other 

 countries are blue, or brightly coloured. Examples might be 

 multiplied indefinitely {e.g., moat of our Compositae, Veronicas, 

 Pimeleas, etc., are white). 



There is no doubt that the prevalence of white in the Flora 

 is in some way connected with the paucity of insects in New 

 Zealand. It has been said, that not only are our insect 

 species few in numbers, but there are few individuals of each 

 species. Such a broad statement, as this, is, however, 

 tmwarranted. It is true that we have only fifteen kinds of 

 butterfly, and that several of these are rare, so that these 

 insects play a smaller part in the work of pollination here 

 than elsewhere. However, we have a considerable number of 

 forms of night-flying moths, several of the families being well 

 represented, and it is generally supposed that they pollinate 

 white flowers, which are more conspicuous in the gloom than 

 coloured ones. It also seems probable that flies play a larger 

 part in the work of pollination here than they do elsewhere. 

 Too little, however, is known at present about the indigenous 



