Identifier: plantsofnewzeala1906lain (find matches)
Title: Plants of New Zealand
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Laing, R. M. (Robert Malcolm), b. 1865 Blackwell, E. W. (Ellen W.)
Subjects: Plants
Publisher: Christchurch : Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd.
Contributing Library: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden
Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden

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Mangroves havebeen generally regarded as the pariahs of the forest, andA. officinalis has not escaped the usual condemnation. Thus,the following impassioned but somewhat inaccurate descriptionof it occurs in one of the earliest of New Zealand novels :— Oh ! those mangroves. I never saw one that looked as ifit possessed a decent conscience. Growing always in shallowstagnant water, filthy black mud, or rank grass, gnarled,twisted, stunted, and half bare of foliage, they seem likecrowds of withered, trodden down old criminals, condemnedto the punishment of everlasting life. I cant help it if thisseems fanciful. Anyone who has seen a mangrove swamp willknow what I mean. Doubtless, however, much of the evil reputation of themangrove forest, is due to the fact that, to its presence, haslong been erroneously attributed the prevalence of malaria intropical river estuaries. Miasmatic vapours were supposed toarise from the pestilential mangrove swamps, and spread their THE VEEBENA FAMILY 353
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Pig. 115. Avicennia officinalis. The Flower (life size). 354 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND contagion around. Science had not then burdened the mis-guided mosquito with sins of transmission, as well as ofcommission. Fortunately, New Zealand does not possess themalaria carrying mosquito (Anopheles), and so her mangroveforests, in spite of their foul appearance, are no more dangerousto human life than any other part of the country. Indeed, athigh tide, a mangrove swamp is often a pleasant place to puntin, for then the somewhat sickly odour of the mud, is replacedby the fresh smell of the sea. Nor is the New Zealand mangrove so ugly, as those of moretropical regions. The gruesome conception of the mangroveforest existing in the minds of most people, is doubtless derivedlargely from the well known word picture of Kingsleys West-ward Ho. The passage begins : The night mist began tosteam, and wreath upon the foul beer-coloured stream, etc.Then follows a description of the hoarse night raven ; theloa

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