BOTANY. 
693 
they form alpine forests in the southern extremity of the 
North Island, and everywhere abound in the Middle Island; 
the rat formerly fed on the mast : it is said only to fruit once 
©very ten years. 
Fam. Scrophularinaceoe. — Koromiko , kokomiko, (veronica 
salicifolia,) perhaps the most generally diffused plant in New 
Zealand, and a very ornamental one, but disappearing before 
the horse; formerly large groves might be seen of it in every 
direction : it bears a tapering shaped flower, of a purplish 
white. Napuka, kcrokio, (V — speciosaf) a variety found at the 
Hokianga Heads, bearing a fine scarlet flower ; the leaves are 
broader, rounder, and thicker than the former. Taranga , 
( — angusti folia,) a small-leafed variety. ( — macro carp a, — • 
lig us trifolia, — parvijlora , — elliptica , — cataractoef) Pirili , ( — di - 
osmifolia, — calycina, gratiola sexdentata , euphrasia cuneata,) 
the sides of Tongariro are covered with several curious varie- 
ties of this family, some of which may prove to be new. 
Fam. Cyrtandraceoe. — Waiuatua, (rhabdothamnus solandri.) 
A beautiful delicate shrub, with small round leaves, and bell- 
shaped flowers of an orange color, streaked with purple, much 
resembling the penstemon. 
Fam. Solaneoe. — Poroporo ,koho]io,koheuheu , (solanum lacina- 
tumf) a bush sometimes found large enough to be classed 
amongst trees ; it occasionally bears white flowers and 
lighter green leaves, but in general the flowers are very 
similar in color to those of the potatoe, and the leaves of a 
dark sombre hue ; the berries are as large as gooseberries, of 
an orange color, and are commonly eaten ; there is a smaller 
kind closely resembling the English night-shade in size and 
flower, which is white ; it bears a purple berry, which, with 
the leaves, are both eaten ; its native names are raupeti and 
remuroa. 
Fam. Myoperineoe . — Manama, ( arioennia tomentosa ,) the 
mangrove ; it abounds in the north end of the island, where 
forms a kind of marine grove, having numbers of oysters 
sticking to its roots and branches, but it is not found south 
of Kawia. Ngaio , (- my'oporum Icetum,) a glossy-leafed-tree, 
abounding near the sea ; in the south it attains a considerable 
