25

20
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 groupe - as are real
and well-developed; and which, united, form the characteristic New
Zealand Botany. Not but that a genus may be (and often is) quite
as well developed by a single species, as by a number. (Witness,
that unique New Zealand plant, Phylloglossum Drummondii; which
single species, at present, not only constitutes a genus, but which, by
eminent continental Botanists, had very nearly been made the type of a
new Natural order!) A genus, although not endemic, may properly
enough be 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, New Zealand clearly seems to be at its centre, its
home. Several of our New Zealand genera were created by her first
Botanical visitors; - Banks and Solander, and by Forster aided by
Sparmann (f.); the young Linnaeus, D'Candolle, and R. 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 their genera, and added considerably thereto.
Already (pars.9 and 10) the phaenogamic 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 vegetation, in order
to the better contrasting of her Botany with that of other lands.

17. The Phaenogamic genera which are truly and pre-eminently New
Zealand, are: - *Melicytus, Hoheria, Entelea, Melicope, Corynocapus,
Carmichoelia, Carpodetus, Ackama, Ixerba, Aciphylla, Griselinia,
Corokia, Tupeia, Alseuosmia, *Coprosma, (also found in Tasmania, but
here it has upwards of twenty-five species), Raoulia, Helophyllum,
Colensoa, Geniostoma, Rhabdothamnus, Teucridium, Nesodaphne,
Knightia, Elatostemma, Earina. Adenochilus, Nematoceras, 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 which 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
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*Note - The genera marked thus *, are also found in Norfolk Island