BOTAXT. 
148 
CHAPTER VI. 
BOTANV. 
It would be presumption in me to offer any observations on the 
botany of this colony, seeing how admirably and fully the subject 
has been treated in the works of Dr. Hooker and others, but for 
the fact that the researches of the majority of these botanists have 
been restricted to the coast line, or to the interior of the Northern 
Island, and that the flora of the Alpine and sub-Alpine regions of 
this island was scarcely known to them. Within the last two 
years the flora of the interior of this province has been in some 
degree explored by Drs. Sinclair and Monro, and by Mr. W. T. L. 
Travers s and Captain Hough, who have all collected highly in¬ 
teresting specimens ; and I may here observe that it is a matter of 
regret that Dr. Sinclair, who has devoted much time to botanical 
researches in this colony, has not yet given to the world an outline 
of the geography of plants, which his intimate knowledge of the 
subject would enable him to do, and which could not fail to be 
very instructive. 
It is a remarkable fact, and, so far as I remember, one which 
has never been noticed, that the majority of the flowers of the 
smaller plants in New Zealand, whether growing in open or in 
forest ground, in valley, plain, or mountain, are nearly colourless, 
and that, when otherwise, yellow and purple tints principally 
prevail, whilst those of the forest trees and their parasites are 
generally of a brilliant red. Amongst them the Metrosideros 
robusta (rata of the natives) and Metrosideros lucida are most 
abundant and conspicuous. The Metrosideros florida, too, adds 
much to the beauty of the forest, hanging in graceful festoons, 
covered with scarlet blossoms, from the tops of the highest trees. 
Although the New Zealand Euschia cannot rival the ratas in 
beauty, it nevertheless gives a pleasing variety to the forest. It 
is a deciduous tree, the flowers of which appear before the leaves. 
Several species of Loranthus (misletoe) also adorn the woods, 
growing principally upon the evergreen Eagus, commonly known 
to the settlers as black and white birch. When in full bloom, 
these beautiful parasites greatly relieve the otherwise uniform 
and somewhat dull coloured vegetation of the New Zealand forest. 
