Native Wildflower Circle.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

Native Wildflower Circle.

(Conducted by L. M. CRANWELL.)

During this very hot summer I have been collecting a new store of seeds of native plants for you. My thanks are due to members and older friends who are anxious to share their seeds with you. As soon as it gets a little cooler I will send out packets of named seeds to those who wish to have them.

I have been too busy to get out into the bush very much this season, and, worst of al), I have not been able to arrange the " Botauy trots" I had in view. To-day's outing to Kauri Gully, at the invitation of the Birkenhead Borough Council, has been the first of any considerable size. I thought it splendid to get this invitation from Birkenhead. When our local bodies take such an interest in trees you may be sure that they will strive to preserve patches of native bush in their areas, and also plant choice hardy trees hi their streets. I don't think any Auckland district shows better than the North Shore what can be done with pohutukawa in particular. Devonport, I suppose, is taking the lead in the planting of native trees, but I may be wrong, as I know less about the other boroughs. CORRESPONDENCE. Bramwell L. Medland, Great Barrier: Your plant is hiri turiti, the sweetscented perching orchid. Its scientific name is Earina autumnalis. It flowers until June. Mary Howard and Kathleen Kirihato, Motuti Native School: Your leaf does belong to a native plant. It is a member of the rose family. Please send more specimens.

Leo Myers, Dargaville, writes: 'The native cucumber seeds you eent have come up, but the kowhai-ngutu-kaka has not showed any signs. I don't think I could have soaked it long enough. Have you any white kowliai seeds? There is only one plant in Dargaville. I have one plant of supplejack, but it does not seem to do any good here. Does the punga fern grow from seeds I" —You should find hundreds of young punga in ditches outside the bush. They grow from tiny light bodies called spores —not quite the same as seeds.

J. W. Bishop, Whakatane: The leaves you sent from Mount Edgecumbe belong to maukawa (Nothopanax Edgerleyi), one of our most handsome native trees. The three-fingered specimens represent the juvenile form. In olden times the Maori crushed the sweet resin from leaves and bark, and anointed their bodies with it. The seedling usually begins life on a tree fern; later, it may crush and kill it.

Joan Bishop, Kohimarama: I am glad your hibiscus flowered so well during the hot weather. lam sending out your seeds to other members and forwarding you seeds of red kowhai and mawhai (native cucumber).

Irirangi: A little girl called Irirangi has asked about her name. I find that it is the Maori name for two pretty filmy ferns common in the bush. Does anyone know what it means?