Hybridism in the New Zealand Flora 113 
for those of New Zealand 1 , there are many species, now isolated, 
which would probably hybridise should the opportunity arise 2 . 
This, in certain cases may be expected to happen at any time through 
rapid alterations in plant-associations either by natural agencies or 
the operations of man. Like all classifications the one used here 
contains some anomalies: also there are certain hybrids which, with 
equal propriety, might be placed into more than one class. 
1. Hybrids between species of wide range, often belonging to the 
same associations, which frequently grow in close proximity . 
In this class the opportunity for crossing is at its maximum; the 
number of its hybrids 3 is 27. 
{a) Fuchsia Colensoi x excorticata. 
Fuchsia Colensoi is either a straggling shrub or a scrambling 
liane; F. excorticata is a small tree with a rather thick, irregular 
trunk. Both species are common members of rain-forest; when one 
alone is present there is no polymorphy. The hybrids form a long 
series of intermediates between the parents. Damaged forest re¬ 
generating increases the number of both species, thus favouring their 
crossing. 
(b) Coprosma propinqua x robusta (= C. Cunninghamii Hook. f.). 
Coprosma propinqua is an erect, divaricating shrub with narrow, 
short leaves, and flowers solitary or in few-flowered fascicles; 
C. robusta is a tall stout, bushy shrub with far larger, broader leaves 
and with its flowers in dense many-flowered glomerules. Both grow 
together in swamps and swamp-forest. The hybrids exhibit every 
gradation 4 between those of the parents in inflorescence, leaves and 
colour of drupes, the last-named being not merely “pink and trans¬ 
lucent" as given for C. Cunninghamii in the Manual, p. 249. 
1 Various hybrids of Clematis, Fuchsia, Veronica (Hebe) and Celmisia have 
been purposely raised or have accidentally originated both in European and 
New Zealand gardens. 
2 An interesting case of this kind was recently published by J. W. Besant 
in the Gardeners’ Chronicle ( 72 , p. 49 and Fig. 23, p. 52, 1922) which tells of 
a hybrid which arose naturally in the garden of Sir J ohn Ross of Bladensburg 
at Rostrevor, Scotland, between the Australian Olearia argophylla and the 
New Zealand O. macrodonta. 
3 Unless the contrary be stated none of the hybrids dealt with in this 
paper have previously been considered such, but have been treated as species 
or intermediates, or have received no special recognition. 
4 On the magnesian soil of the Mineral Belt (Nelson) grows a shrub, hitherto 
referred to C. Cunninghamii, which is most likely an undescribed species. 
Phyt. xxii. 3. 8 
