75 



tures, as it is neither employed in vrligious or 

 otlirr ccreiirnnli^ji. It grows principally in moist, 

 iiirU'sliy soil, but 1 have also obser\'cd it growing 



m &e declivities <rf MXk, Tim are 

 ensi^riE, of a^bdgM gt^en «cl^; lirxth d> tIixi d* 

 (iriinge along the margin-: -ife^ -ftfliage attainH 

 the f'lpvatinn of fivt^ to seven feet, and resembles 

 in mode of growth our water Hags : the flower 

 stalk Mses to the elev-atioa erf §om or five feet 

 h^ymd ikie Miagej hmn^ ft proHidfoit 

 liliaceous flrvvvi/rs of a reddish j^ellow colour, 

 succeeded by triangular capsules, filled with 

 Tiuniernus oblong, flattened, black seeds. The 

 leaves grow perfectly erect, but are figured in- 

 correc% m C«Jok'^ fiusfc Vtjyag^, ^nd* ^tltir 

 workS} as ibey are delineated bending towards 

 the ground, wliieli from their rigidity they are, 

 unless broken, uiuible to do. The flax procured 

 from thi> plant is situated (unlike all other 

 Mods viMoh m icre acquainted) in the 

 leaTe% wlief e the fibres run in n longitudinal 

 ■diseetioii, covered by the ojjidennis. There are 

 sevend varieties of it iudigenous to X(*w Zea- 

 land, from souu' (jf which the flax is procured 

 of piMh finer cpiality than otliera. I collected 

 trnth ^ner specimeus of the iaic froar the vici- 

 nity of the River Thames, Kew Zealand^ than 

 from the Hay of Islands. 



