Native Wildflower Circle.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 285, 1 December 1934, Page 3 (Supplement)

Native Wildflower Circle.

(Conducted by L. M. CRANWELL.) Do you remember my writing last year of the island of the tuataras ? While you are reading this I shall be far away on another island where tuataras are few, but whore the bench shingle is alive with little jewel-eyed brown lizards, and the trees full of Ifinls and flowers. No knocks will come at my door (there's not a door on the island) and no letters will reach me. I have just to write out these answers to queries and then I can go. Wouldn't you liko to come, too, over the blue sea to that beautiful island? Watch next week in "Enzcd Junior" for Miss L. B. Moore's story about New Zealand mosses. MAILBAG. Forest Roservo School, Wellsford: Some of your plants were not natives, and as many of tho numbers were muddled I had some difficulty in sorting them. (1) Hypericum japonicuin, related to the big, bad St. John's wort. (2) Epaeris pauciilora, :i tiny heath related to (10) pa totara (Leucopogon Frazeri), another gumlands plant, with white flowers and sweet orange berries. (3) Littlo green orchid (Microtis unifolia), with a leaf like an onion. (4) Native pelargonium (P- inodorum). The delicate blue harebell is Walilenhcrgia gracilis and tho "Maori potato" is TQielymitra longifolia. No. 0 was centaury, an introduced plant, often used to cure rheumatism. The teacher, Miss J. P. Murray, writes: "The children were very interested in the story about the sundew in 'Enzcd Junior,' and for days I was besie god with handfuls of sundew specimens." K. Hodgson, Te Arai: Your specimens are (!) Waiautua or matata (Rliabdotliamints Solandri). What names do the northern Maoris give it? Its reddish bells are one of tho prettiest sights in

the bush. (2) Is a South African weed with a big name—Osteospermuin moniliferuin. Note its bony seed, an unusual feature in a member of the daisy family.

Gordon Wilson, Wellington: Do send notes about your trip to Titalii Bay. Lovely seaweeds grow there. Your other letter appeared on this page several weeks ago. Tell me why you do think "Kowhai is not very characteristic of New Zealand as our national flower."

Zclda Miller, Hunua: 1 cannot send seed of rauhuia, the fairy flax, until they ripen again. Jane Bristow, Karetu, writes: "We have a bush camp up here. All day long there aro pigeons, kakas and tuis singing and flying about, and at night we hear kiwis calling. In front of the camp aro two big kauris beside a rippling stream, and all along its banks are nikaus and ferns of all descriptions, making a pretty scene. That is why I'd like to join the Native Flower Circle. I am sending some plants whose names I do not know." Your plants are (1) Matata (see above); (2) Toropapa or Alseuosmia, a sweet-scented member of the honeysuckle .family; (3) puka (Griselinia lucida).