Essay on the botany of the North Island of New Zealand

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16 whose chief habitat is around the Bay of Islands, where, in shady dry woods, it is plentiful; A. macrophylla, was found at Te Whau, Manukau Bay, in 1841; and, subsequently, a few plants of A. Banksii in one spot in the dense forest between the river Manawatu and Wairarapa, but none intermediate! ascending to nearly 1000 feet. Geniostoma ligustrifolium, abundant at the Bay of Islands, and farther north, ascending to 1200 feet; a straggling plant ( having thicker leaves) has been seen as far south as the woods at Hawke's Bay; the only plant, however, noticed south of the East Cape. Vitex littoralis, a tree very plentiful at the north, extending quite across the Island, and growing as diffusely on the immediate sea coast as on the high lands, ascending to 1500 feet; is little known south of the East Cape; one tree however is said to be on the islet Mokoia in the large lake at Rotorua, and one is also at Table Cape (north side), its extreme southern limit. Avicennia officinalis, a maritime plant, very plentiful from the North Cape to about 37 1/2o south; the mouth of the Waikato river on the west, and within Tauranga harbour on the east coast, being its south limits. Persoonia Toro, has not been met with south of Whangarei Bay. Santalum Cunninghamii, and its vars., plentiful at the north, has not been noticed south of 38o; yet, at the head of the Wairarapa valley, ( just at the entrance of the long forest,) in about 41o south, two trees were most unexpectedly found standing together; no more however were detected in a journey of 3 - 4 days through that forest, performed on several occasions. Trophis opaca, (or, Epicarpurus microphyllus,) has its south limits at Tolaga Bay, or about 39o south. Dammara australis, which grows from the sea side to an altitude of 1500 feet, in nearly all soils and situations, (though its favorite soil is a stiff sterile clay,) is very plentiful quite across the Island from the North Cape to the Thames, but has its limits on the east coast at 37 1/2o south, and on the west coast at Kauri river (Kawhia), 38o4' south, where are a few stunted trees. The writer well remembers seeing, in 1841, a straggling tree on the west bank of river Waikato, a little below Ngaruawahia. Libocedrus Doniana, keeps always in the interior on high ground (500 to 2000 feet), from 35o to the Thames seems to be its limits. It is however, strongly suspected that there are two species of this genus in the North Island ; the Libocedrus growing in dense thickets on the Ruahine Mountains, has never yet been found in fruit,* and appears in foliage different from the Bay of Islands plant, which is also of more robust growth. * Since mde a new species by Dr. Hooker:- L. Bidwillii.

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17 Phyllocladus trichomanoides, which is plentiful at the north, from about 35o south, (where it has been observed growing from the sea-side to 1200 feet altitude,) has its southern limits at 39 1/2o south, in the mountains inland west from Hawke's Bay. Arthropdium cirrhatum, a common littoral north plant, has its south limits at Cape Kidnappers, in 38o 50' south. Trichomanes elongatum, has not been met with south of Thames. Loxsoma Cunninghamii, for a long time only found at one spot (the noted Kerikeri waterfall in the Bay of Islands,) has been also met with at Whangarei, and in the Coromandel ranges. Doodia caudata (or, media), so very common at the north, has not been seen south of the Thames, except in one locality near Napier; which plant, however, may prove to be a distinct species. Gymnogramma leptophylla, plentiful near the head of Manukau Bay, has only been again met with at Ahuriri and Cape Kidnappers. Lygodium articulatum, a northern plant, has not been noticed south of the East Cape; and Schizaea dichotomma appears to be wholly confined to the Dammara (Kauri) forests.

(iii.) Plants found plentifully in the southern parts of the North Island, but rarely, if ever, extending north beyond the East Cape.- Among these the following may be noticed:- Elaeocarpus Hookerianus, extends north to Tolaga Bay; Hypericum gramineum, from the coast to 600 feet altitude, has not been noticed north of Table Cape. Coriaria thymifolia, (several varieties), from the sea coast (Hawke's Bay) to 4000 feet, has not been generally met with north of Poverty Bay; but the very small leaved species, C. angustissima, was found, in 1838, on Mount Hikurangi, East Cape, and, subsequently, near the summits of the Ruahine range, at an altitude of 4500 feet. Discaria Toumatou, a coast plant, has not been detected north of Poverty Bay. Potentilla anserina, and Geum Magellanicum, extend from Cook's Straits to the East Cape. Aciphylla squarrosa, found from the sea cost to 3500 feet altitude, has not been noticed north of 40o 30' south. Craspedia fimbrata, several varieties, from the coast to 1000 feet, extends north to the East Cape. Microseris Forsteri, common near the coast, has its north limit about Poverty Bay; where, too, it is very plentiful. Taraxacum Dens-leonis growing sparingly with the former, but often rising to much higher elevation of 3000 feet, has not been detected north of Tolaga Bay. Ourisia macrophylla, found plentifully at from 1500 to 3000 feet, has not been seen north of Poverty Bay. Calceolaria Sinclairii,

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18 and Euphrasia cuneata, coast plants, (rising, however, to 500 feet,) have their north limits at the East Cape. Myosotis, and Exarrhena, several species, met with in both dry and damp spots, from the sea coast to an altitude of 2000 feet, are unknown north of the East Cape. Fagus fusca, found in the interior at an altitude of from 500 to 2500 feet, has not been seen north of Poverty Bay (e.); while F. Solandri, a species found much nearer the sea, and attaining to a higher elevation of 4000 feet, reaches nearly to the East Cape. Zannichellia palustris, has not been noticed north of Table Cape; while its aquatic congener, Lemna gibba, reaches Poverty Bay. Of Ferns, peculiar to the Southern parts of the Island, may be noticed,- Hymenophyllum bivalve, H. pulcherrimum, and H. aeruginosum, which extend throughout damp forests in the interior, at an elevation of 2000 feet, to about 38° south their north limit. Davallia Novae-Zelandiae, has been found as far north as the Bay of Plenty. Lomaria elongata, and L. nigra, at an elevation of 1000 to 1600 feet, extend plentifully north, from Wairarapa near Wellington, to 38o south. Small specimens, however, of Lomaria elongata have lately been found near Wellington. Polypodium sylvaticum, (a scarce fern,) at a lower elevation, from Wellington to Tolaga Bay 38° 30' south; and Leptopteris superba, at an altitude of from 2000 to 3000 feet, extends north to about 38o south.

14. It has already been shown, how widely spread and common many of the plants of this North Island are; nevertheless, there are some, both genera and species, which (as far as is known) are peculiarly local. This, it is believed, is a characteristic feature on the Botany of New Zealand; one which (if hereafter proved to be real) will be worthy of deep consideration, - as to the why such should be. A few of the more strikingly local plants, hitherto only found in one small spot, are here enumerated, with their their known habitats:- Clematis depauperata (n.), near Hawke's Bay. Myosurus aristatus, Palliser Bay. Ranunculus geraniifolius, (n.) between Mount Tongariro and Ruahine mountain range. Drosera pygmaea, Cape Maria Van Diemen; Drosera Arcturi, at Taupo, near the base of Tongariro. Stackhousia minima, (n.) Hawke's Bay, Geum parciflorum, summit of Ruahine range, east side, 500 feet altitude. Gunnera prorepens, (n.) Flat Point South East coast. *Meryta Sinclairii, (n.) Whangaruru Bay. *Angelica geniculata, Hawke's Bay. Loranthus Colensoi, (n.) Waikare Lake. Coprosma repens, (n.) between ______________________________________________________ * Note - of those marked with a star (*) before them, a single plant only has been seen; the letter n. after the name, denotes such to be a new species.

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19 Mount Tongariro and Ruahine range; and C. petiolata, (n.) between Castle Point and Pahawa. Cotula perpusilla, (n.) Turakirae, Palliser Bay. Abrotanella pusilla, (n.) near the top of Ruahine range. Gnaphalium (Helichrysum) Colensoi, (n.) summit of Ruahine range, east side. Forstera Bidwillii, west side of Ruahine range, 4000 feet altitude. Helophyllum Colensoi, (n.) summit of Ruahine range, 5000 feet altitude. * Logania depressa, (n.) between Taupo and Ruahine Calceolaria repens, (n.) west base of Ruahine. Exarrhena saxosa, (n.) Hawke's Bay. Utricularia protusa, (n.) Bay of Plenty. Cassytha paniculata, near Mount Camel. Ascarina lucida, (n.) three trees growing together in a swamp, at Wairarapa. Spiranthes australis, Upper Waikato. Adenochilus gracilis, (n.) near Lake Waikare. Anthericum Hookeri, (n.) between Mount Tongariro and the west base of Ruahine. Hymenophyllum unilaterale, (according to Dr Hooker, but a sp. nov. mihi,) on one tree only, but plentiful upon it; - in the dense forest, west side of Ruahine range, 3000 feet altitude. Trichomanes Colensoi, (n.) Lake Waikare. Adiantum formosum, only in one spot in the dense forest between Wairarapa and Manawatu. Hypolepis millefolium, (n.) near the top of Ruahine range, east side. Asplenium Trichomanes, Hawke's Bay. Gymnogramma rutoefolia, near Cape Palliser. Grammitis rufusvillosa, (n.) three specimens only, growing together in the dense forest, east base of Tararua range. Riccia natans, in the little lake Roto-akiwa, Hawke's Bay; and Riccia fluitans, at the head of Wairarapa valley.

The North Island of New Zealand also contains several wellknown European plants, which were found here by her earlier scientific visitors; - (exclusive of the host of common plants which have come in with colonization;) - some of which, curiously enough, have not been found elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Those European plants (several of which are cosmopolites) are of the following natural orders, viz:- Cruciferae, 3; Caryophlleae, 2; Malvaceae, 1; Geraniaceae, 2; Oxalideae, 1; Coriarieae, 1; Rosaceae, 2; Onagrariae, 1; Halorageae, 1; Compositeae, 5; Solaneae, 1; Chenopodiaceae, 4; Naidaceae, 3; Aroideae, 4; Junceae, 3; Cyperaceae, 6; Gramineae, 4; Filices, 7; and, Lycopodiaceae, 1; - total species, 57. It is worthy of remark, that not a single species is hard-wooded, scarcely even a shrub, save Coriaria ruscifolia; - and that many of them are sea-side and water plants, identical to those found in Great Britain.

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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 ___________________________________________________________ *Note - The genera marked thus *, are also found in Norfolk Island

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