20 
16. Before, however, any comparison is attempted between the 
Botany of New Zealand (North Island) and that of other lands, it 
will be advantageous further to consider such genera and species 
peculiar to the Island—or to the New Zealand group©—as are real 
and well-developed ; and which, united, form the characteristic New 
Zealand Botany. Not but that a genus may be (and ofton is) quite 
as well developed by a single species, as by a number. (Witness, 
that unique New Zealand plant, Phylloglossum Drummondn ; which 
single species, at present, not only constitutes a genus, but which, by 
eminent continental Botanists, had very nearly been made the typo of a 
new Natural order! ) A gonus, although not endemic, may properly 
enough bo said to be “ well-developed” in New Zealand, if better 
species are found, or if more abundantly met with, here than in other 
countries — if, in fact, Now Zealand clearly seems to be its centre, its 
homo. Several of our New Zealand genera were created by her first 
Botanical visitors; — Banks and Solander, and by Forster aided by 
Sparmann (f.); the younger Linnaeus, IF Candolle, and B. Brown, 
also made a few. A. Cunningham increased the number considerably 
from the Bay of Islands’ plants; and, more recently, Dr. Hooker has 
both confirmed thoir genera, and added considerably thereto. 
Already ( pars . 9 and 10) the phcenogamic genera and species endemic 
to the North Island, as far as known, have been enumerated ; and it 
now remains to show the well-developed New Zealand genera, and 
peculiar species of the North Island, comprising those which mainly 
give that peculiar contour— tout-ensemble —to her vegotation, in order 
to the better contrasting of her Botany with that of other lands. 
17. The phsenogamic genera which are truly and pre-eminently New 
Zealand, arc :— *Melicytus, Hoheria , Exit elect, 31 ell cope, Cory nocarpus, 
Carm:\chcelia , Carpodetus , Acltama , Ixeiba , Aciphylla , Gnselmia , 
Corokla, Tupexa , Alseuosmia, *Coprosxna, (also found in Tasmania, but 
here it has upwards of twenty-five species), Raoulia, Ileloplxyllum , 
Colensoa , Genio stoma, Rliabdothamnus , Teucridium, JVesodaphne , 
Knightia , Elatostemma, Earina. Adenochilus , Ncmatoceras , and 
*Phormium ; — yet, of these twenty-eight genera, scarcely half of the 
number are of that class which give the characteristic appearance or 
stamp to New* Zealand Botany. Of those w’liich are more noticeable, 
several are either very local in area, or only occasionally met with. It is, 
then, to the distinct New Zealand species of genera which her Botany 
has in common with other lands, that so much is due for characteristic 
* Note.— The genera marked thus *, are also found in Norfolk Island. 
