672 
BOTANY. 
three seasons in the same locality and soon disappears, unless 
it be a travelling plant and is allowed to change its abode, 
this fact tends to prove that plants, like animals, have their 
proper habitations assigned them, and with few exceptions, 
will not permanently flourish beyond them ; man, with his 
attendants, the dog, cat, and rat, may be styled denizens 
of the world ; so some plants also, such as the dock, clover, 
chickweed, plantain, &c., are carried wherever he goes, and 
soon so fully establish themselves, that in a few years it 
becomes almost impossible to suppose they have been intro- 
duced ; these, however, are exceptions, and we cannot but 
conclude that New Zealand, embracing the Auckland, Chat- 
ham, Macquarie, and a few other islands, have a common 
flora as well as Australia, and other continents : the charac- 
teristic feature of the New Zealand forest, with its dark 
glossy green foliage, presents a remarkable contrast to the 
glaucous color of the Australian. 
The number of known species of plants was six hundred 
and thirty-two, of which three hundred and fourteen are 
dicotyledonous or endogenous, and the rest monocotyle- 
donous and cellular. To what can this remarkable dispro- 
portion be due ? coupled with the total absence of animals, 
and the former existence of a large number of wingless 
birds, it can only be regarded as a proof that it has from 
most ancient times been cut off from other parts, and so 
retained its primaeval flora. 
The emigrant from the flowery fields of Britain, cannot 
fail being struck with the great deficiency of those enlivening 
adjuncts to the landscape, when he first steps forth on the 
antipodal shores of New Zealand; the interminable plains of 
sombre fern, will at first present an unfavorable contrast to 
his native land, excepting the palm, dracenas, and fern trees 
there is little striking in its landscape, a great want of 
flowering plants is perceived, and very few which possess 
vivid colors, in their place those characteristic trees give the 
distinguishing feature to the vegetation. Britain possesses 
only two scarlet flowers indigenous to its soil — the poppy and 
pimpernel — whilst New Zealand has fully half-a-dozen, and 
those all belonging to shrubs or timber trees. 
