XVI FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND.
Th e se c o u s id e ra tio n s le a d u s to o th e rs s till m o re e lusive o f th e n a tu r a lis t’s g ra sp . T h e re fe re n c e
o f a ll v a iie tie s to a species^ an d o f its in d iv id u a ls to a siu g le pareut^ a rg u e s th e ex isten c e a t some
epoch o f a ty p e o r fo rm a ro u n d Avhich all v a rie tie s m a y b e g ro u p ed . I t h a s b e e n o b serv ed th a t tAvo
o r m o re c re a ted o r in d u c ed ty p e s o r species m a y re sem b le o n e a n o th e r so closely^ th a t, am id th e m id -
titu d e o f v a rie tie s o f e a ch , th e n a tu r a lis t sh a ll seek in v a in fo r th a t wh ich b e s t d em o n s tra te s th e
species. N o o n e c a n d en y th e p o s sib ility o f su ch c re a tio n s , n o r p e rh ap s th e ir p ro b a b ility , w h en b e
co n sid e rs th e in fin ite v a rie tie s o f clim a te s, 1i o a \ ’ in s en s ib ly th e y p ass in to o n e a n o th e r, a n d how n ic e ly
th e fu n c tio n s o f some p la n ts ap p e a r to b e a d a p te d to c e rta in mo d ific a tio n s o f th e se , a n d to n o o th e rs.
H a d , m o reo v er, eA^ei’y c lim a te its own species, a n d were th e r e an y d ifficulty in p ro p a g a tin g th e m a jo
r ity o f th e p la n ts o f o n e c lim a te in a A-ery d iffe ren t one, su ch c re a tio n s w o u ld ap p e a r to b e in d is p
en sab le : b u t th e fa c ts o f b o ta n ic a l g eo g rap h y a ssu re u s, th a t i t is by fa r th e sm a lle r h a lf o f th e
A eg c tab le k in g d om th a t is confined to narroAv g eo g rap h ic a l o r c lim a tic area s, a n d th a t v e ry few p la n ts
in d e ed ai’e ab so lu te ly lo c a l; wliilst th e o p e ra tio n s o f th e g a rd e n e r a n d a g ric u ltu ris t p rove, th a t a v a s t p ro p
o rtio n o f th e p la n ts o f th e tAvo tem p e ra te zones a re cap ab le o f g row in g in an y m o d e ra te c lim a te . I do
n o t th in k th a t th o s e who a rg u e fo r n a rrow lim its to th e d is trib u tio n a n d v a ria tio n o f species, c a n have
co n sid e red a g a rd e n in a p h ilo so p h ic a l s p irit, o r h av e w eig h ed su ch facts as th a t th e r e h av e b e e n c u ltiv
a te d , w ith in th e la s t sev en ty y e a rs , in th e o p en a ir o f E n g la n d (at Kew) u pw a rd s o f tw e n ty th o u san
d species o f p la n ts from aU q u a rte rs o f th e globe, a n d th is Avithin a space th a t, h a d i t b e e n le ft to
n a tiu ’e, would n o t haA*e c o n ta in ed tw o h u n d re d in d ig en o u s species ! T h e fa c t th a t an o v erw h e lm in g
p ro p o rtio n o f th e se h av e come u p tr u e to th e fr p a re n t, a n d h av e c o n tin u e d so u n d e r ev e ry p o ssib le
d isad v an tag e o f tr a n s p o rta tio n a n d tra n sp la n ta tio n , o f a lte re d seasons, a n d am o im t a n d d is trib u tio n
o f tem p e ra tu re a n d h um id ity , o f u n s u ita b le so il a n d ex p o su re, a n d o f th e m u ltitu d e o f e rro rs iu
m a n a g em e n t w h ich u n av o id ab le ig n o ra n c e o f th e fr n a tu r a l lo c a lity a n d h a b it en g e n d e rs. S u ch
appeal’s to m e th e m o s t fo rcib le a rg um e n t in fav o u r o f th e p ow er o f p la n ts to r e ta in th e ir o rig in a l
ch a ra c te rs im d e r a lte re d c ircum s tan c e s .
To r e tu r n however to th e id e a o f a ty p e , I m u s t rem in d th e Nbav Z e a lan d re a d e r th a t th e wo rd
is o fte n u sed in a v ag u e a n d u n p h ilo so p h ic a l m a n n e r : in th e to o f re q u e n t sen se o f th e te rm i t d e n
o te s th a t iudiAudnal o f a species wh ich was firs t cu ltiv a ted , describ ed , figured, o r colle c ted , o r th a t
form wh ich is m o s t a b u n d a n t in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f th e Avriter; Avffiereas a ll th e in d iv id u a ls th u s
re fe rre d to m a y re p re s e n t an om a lo u s o r ex c ep tio n a l s ta te s o f th e tr u e ty p e . T h e fa c t is, th a t we have
no clue w h a te v e r to th e o rig in a lly c re a ted ty p ic a l fo rm o f a n y p la n t, co n s is te n t w ith th e view o f its
o rig in in a sin g le p a re n t, a n d its poAvers o f v a ry in g . I f we ta k e a species o f u n iv e rsa l d is trib u tio n ,
a c a re fu l ex am in a tio n o f aU its v a ria tio n s, an d a c o n tr a s t betAveen th e se a n d th o s e o f its allies, m a y
le ad to th e d e te c tio n o f a fo rm , Avhich fo r v a rio u s re a so n s m a y b e assumed as th e re a l o r ide al
s ta n d a r d ; fo r we h av e no re a so n to suppose th a t th e whole glo b e is so a lte re d th a t th e c ircum s tan c e s
u n d e r Avhich th e assumed ty p e o rig in a lly ap p e a red do n o t n ow ex ist anyAvhere. B u t AA-ith loc al
p la n ts th e case is d if f e re n t; th e y m a y h av e o rig in a te d w h e re th e y a re u o a v fo u n d , b u t i t is m o re
co n s is te n t w ith geo lo g ical t r u th s to a ssume th a t m a n y d id n o t, a n d th a t, howev er s lig h t th e in d u c ed
ch an g es h av e b e en , a n d howcA’e r powerless to o b lite ra te specific ch a ra c te r, th e y m a y s till m a sk th e
o rig in a l form.
P ra c tic a lly , th e n , th e ty p e is a p h a n tom ; w h a t Avas o nce th e ty p ic a l s ta te may n o lo n g e r b e th e
spring by altered circumstances have become unisexual, and, what is of more practical importance, upon the possibility
of the chance transport of one sex of a dicecious plant proving sufficient to effect the propagation of the
species.
com m o n o n e , o r tl ia t wliicli n ow fulfils th e office th e sp ecies d id a t a n e a rlie r ep o ch * . F o r p ra c tic a l
p u rp o s e s we m u s t as sum e th e m o s t com m o n fo rm to h e th e m o s t ty p ic a l, fo r i t is th a t w h ic h is b e s t
k n ow n . I n d o in g th is , h owev er, th e r e is e x trem e d ifficu lty in c om b a tin g lo c a l p r e ju d ic e s ; th e g en e r
a l b o ta n is t c a n n o t give a h ig h e r p la ce in th e g r e a t s ch em e o f N a tu r e to a n a tu r a l o b je c t o n a c co u n t
o f its b e a u ty , r a r ity , o r lo c a l asso c ia tio n s, an y m o re th a n h e c an c a ll a d o u b tfu l p la n t a n a tiv e b e c au se
i t looks well in h is flora o r h o r h a r iu m ; b u t th e r e a re lo c a l o b serv ers who c a n n o t b e b ro u g h t to see
thino-s in su ch a lig h t, a n d who ta k e th e ex c lu sio n o f p la n ts a c c id en ta lly in tro d u c e d in to th e flo ra o f
th e ir neighhoui-hood, a n d th e re d u c tio n o f su p p o sed lo c a l ty p e s to v a rie tie s o f b e t te r k n ow n a n d
w id er sp read p la n ts , as li ttl e s h o r t o f a n in s u lt to th e ir u n d e rs ta n d in g s , a n d a s lig h t u p o n th e n a tu r a l
h is to ry o f th e ir v illag e o r is la n d , a n d su p p o se th a t b ec au se tlie s y s tem a tis t c a n n o t see w ith th e ir eyes
h e th e re fo re ta k e s a less tr u e in te r e s t in w h a t h e observes.
§ 3.
Species are more w id e ly d iffu s ed th a n is u su a lly supposed.
T h is is a p o in t u p o n w h ich m y owm views differ m a te ria lly from th o s e o f m a n y o f m y fellow
b o ta n is ts , a n d wliich, i f b o rn e o u t b y facts, le ad s to a w id ely d iffe ren t e s tim a te o f th e n um b e r an d
v a rie ty o f th e m em b e rs o f th e v eg e tab le k in g d om th a n th a t w h ich is a t p re s e n t e n te rta in e d . A s w ith
th e affinities a n d v a ria tio n o f species, so is i t w ith th e ir d is tr ib u tio n : a n ex ten siv e k n ow led g e o f th e
s u b je c t is o n ly to b e o b ta in ed b y a c tu a l o b s e rv a tio n over la rg e a re a s, a n d m a n y o f th em , o r b y th e
s tu d y a n d com p a riso n o f th e c o n te n ts o f m a n y m u s eum s. I t h a s h e e n m y s in g u la r g o o d fo rtu n e to
h ave v isited m a n y reg io n s o f th e g lo b e , a n d to h av e e n te re d in to some d e ta ils u p o n th e d isp e rs io n o f
liv in g species, w h ich h a s alw'ays b e e n a fav o u rite p u r s u it o f m in e . I h av e f u r th e r h a d th e a d v a n tag e
o f co lla tin g m y re s u lts w ith th e la rg e s t a n d b e s t-n am e d b o ta n ic a l coUections in th e w o rld , a n d have
rece ived a g re a te r am o u n t o f a s s is tan c e from m y fellow n a tu r a lis ts th a n h a s fa lle n to th e lo t o f m o s t :
fa c ts wh ich in o rd in a ry cases a re th e r e s u lt o f lo n g s tu d y a n d m u c h c o n s u lta tio n h av e b e e n p la c ed a t
m y disposal r a th e r th a n w o rk ed o u t b y m y s e l f t. A v e ry ex te n d e d e x am in a tio n o f th e s e m a te ria ls
h a s o n ly te n d e d to confirm th e view wliich o rig in a te d in m y p e rso n a l ex p e rien ce , viz. th a t th e esti-
* Thus the fcAV remaining native Cedars of Lebanon may be abnormal states of the tree which Avas once
spread over the whole of tiie Lebanon, for there are now growing in England varieties of it that have no existence
in a wild state. Some of these closely resemble the Cedars of the Atlas and of the Himalayas {Deodar), and the absence
of any valid botanical differences between these three forms tends to prove that all, though generally supposed
to be different species, are one. The characters by Avhicb these Cedars are distinguished reside in habit, colour, and
length of leaf, and arc in process of change and obliteration under cultivation ; if Ave find, then, these plants to be
varieties of one which is dispersed from the Atlas Mountains to Northern India, Avhich of the three can we assume as
tlie type, but that which retains its characters over the greatest area, \dz. the Cedar {Deodar) of the Himalaya ?
whether or not that was the originally created state, or Avhether the species was created there or in the Atlas or in
Lebanon, or in some intermediate area whence it is now banished. I t will be difficult to disconnect the idea of the
common Cedar from that of the type of its race, but the systematist may have to do so. What thus happens Avith
large trees may likewise occur with smaller plants. I have given the most conspicuous illustration with which I
am famiHar, but in the eyes of a naturalist it is not in the least more significant than one drawn from the study of
the varieties and distribution of a Moss or Grass.
t I t is impossible to over-estimate the importance of a well-studied and named herbarium for such purposes, a
simple inspection of many species often giving their geographical range, and in the numerous cases in wliich Avidely
distributed genera have been ivorked up by competent authorities, the results are obtained Avith great accuracy.
d