MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

FOREST CHARM. (Recorded by J.H.S., of Palmerston North, for the “Times-Age.”) In the early years, New Zealand called many of the world’s great naturalists, for it was one of the most attractive fields of operations in the world. Luxuriously clothed with forest, flora and ferns, and with an almost total absence of animals. England has 40 indigenous trees, New Zealand 120. Dr. Hooker said 2000 species of plants had already been collecte'd, and he anticipated as many more would yet be discovered. Over 500 species of flowering plants, that is, more than two-thirds of that division found in New Zealand, were not known elsewhere. Of the other third, 193 species are Australian. 87 South American, 77 common to both, 60 species are European, and 50 Antarctic. Out of 117 ferns found in New Zealand, only 42 are peculiar to the country. Of the 117 ferns, 61 are found in Australia and Tasmania, 30 in South America, and only 10 are European. These proportions in the nearest parts of the world may suggest that this part of the huge Pacific Ocean may at one time have been a vast continent greater in size than Europe and Asin. In the northern hemisphere of the same latitude as New Zealand there are very few specimens of ferns.

With two oi’ three exceptions, New Zealand trees are evergreens, greener in winter than in summer. Of these the giant tree ferns are the most conspicuous, competing closely with the nikau palm for beauty.

There are comparatively few flowering plants. Britain has 1400, New Zealand 750. The magnificent kauri giant trees once covered the land round Auckland and the north, but no explanation has been offered as to why a new growth has failed to replace them. Possibly the fossil mass of hard gum has prevented their reproduction.