MUSEUM NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

MUSEUM NOTES

QUITE recently, while at the Museum, I examined some pressed specimen® of plants, actually gathered by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander, who were botanists on Captain Cook's ship, the Endeavour, when

it visited Xew Zealand nearly 170 veare ago. There seemed to be a feeling of awe and reverence about then; . . . the first plants ever to be collected by white men from Xew Zealand shores. Brittle and old they were, yet perfectly preserved, and as I looked at them I tried to imagine what New Zealand would look like •then . . . densely-clothed with dark green trees and a splash of paler green breaking in here and there, quiet and lonely —no familiar fences and paddocks, ..-ith cattle or sheep grazing, but bush and scrub down to the beach. Even the Maori would probably show no sign of his presence from the sea. The coast must have looked enchanting to that small, fearless band of explorers, with its still bays and blue water, especially after the buffeting on rolling seas, full of danger for a small ship such a« the Endeavour.

Suddenly I realised that it was just this month, about November 20, 17t>9. that the Endeavour sailed down the Hauraki (Julf and anchored near where Thames now stands; and although they had landed at other places before—first striking New Zealand on October 6 at Poverty Bay, then following up the East Coast to Thames —the rich new forest which greeted them must have held surprises untold. Some of you who have been to Thames may have

looked in wonder at the high hills densely clothed with bush, going far back, until lost in a blue haze—and that is how that part would have been —but with high heavy bush almost to the water's edge.

The Museum collection showed some of the plants that Banks and Solander had found, and many species in flower then are flowering now.

They gathered rewarewa (Knightea excelsa), which is a tall tree, covered at present with masses of red brown buds and curly flowers; also poroporo (Solanum aviculare), that purplecoloured flowered relation of our potato, they found in bloom—and many others too numerous to mention—but Ti or cabbage tree (Cordyline Australia) was in full flower, tilling the air with heavy, sweet scent, and, of course, pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa). Thev fonnd that later and it would have looked to them, as it does perhaps to us—as though the last deep red rays of a sunset had been caught and imprisoned to be admired by us.

By Betty E. G. Molesworth

Sir Joseph Banks, the elder of these two men, who were to become so famous as New Zealand's first botanists, was very well known in England at that time, and was a man of great courage and determination, which was certainly needed when travelling as they did, in new lands, with unfriendly natives nearly everywhere. Dr. Solander, who was chosen by Banks as his assistant for the voyage, was a clever young Swedish person—at one time favourite pupil of the world famous botanist Linnaeus.

How strange they would look to us now, in their queer clothes, and perhaps we could imagine Banks carefully and methodically collecting specimens, whilst Solander, who was quite young at the time of their visit here, perhaps getting more excited over the rich vegetation which abounded everywhere. They discovered the beautiful white rata, a tall woody climber, with large leaves about 2£ inches across and large white flowers. Unfortunately, it is quite rare now, but it must have grown fairly near the coast, for neither Banks nor Solander ventured far inland, and no wonder, for they did not know what secrets the bushclad valleys and mountains may have held, and already they had found that n.ost of the natives they met were hostile. Once, when near some more friendly Maori people, did Dr. Solander venture to their village, and it was there T.e saw the lovely red kowhai-n;rutu-kaka (Clianthue "puniceus) in flower, some of which he was able to collect. The Maori must have

cultivated it because of its colours, but later on early explorers found it growing well in a few places, but with the introduction of pigs, sheep and goats it was quickly destroyed from its native haunts.

After sailing around the New Zealand coast, staying at various bay 6 for a few days at a time, enabling Banks and Soiander to collect a large and valuable number of specimens, Captain Cook left New Zealand shores on April 1, 1770, having stayed just under six months.

Some time later perhaps I will tell you of the place® Sir Joseph Banks and Mr. Solander visited, and the plants they found there, but you may see for yourselves the flowers that are out now and remember that perhaps years ago they were looking at the same kind too, for at this time of the year all the countryside is liberally sprinkled with native flowers.

Karly in the morning a few days ago. at a pretty West Coast beaeli, I walked Tip a long liill where tiny orchid* were peeping out of the ground, quite a few were in flower, and up where a few early flowering rengarenga lilies (Arthropotium cirrpatum) were hanging with very little earth to hold them, high up on rocky faces. They were just showing their small white flowers —many stunted and eaten back, which was such a pity, for they grow where few plants are brave enough to live. Fairly near, on safer ground, growing in great profusion, was koheriki (Angelica rosaefolia), a member of the carro family, with its white flower heads, heavy with dew, and its shining roselike leaves making it a distinctive plant.

Quite a number of Poroporo bushes grew side by side along the road, both with white and purple flower, and climbing through the manuka was the native periwinkle or kaiwhiria (Parsonsia neterophylli), a pretty little creeper with cream flowers, and a sweet scent, and leaves glossy and deep green.

Then, of course everywhere, manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) was flowering,—and it is just at its best— masses of star-like white flowers, almost hiding the leaves—no wonder New Zealand poets write about it. Next time you are walking through manuka try to see a tiny plant which has a flower, and you will find that there will be plenty about 4in or sin high, with two or three flowers. Also have a close look at the dark centre of the dainty manuka flowers, for most are deep chocolate colour, but quite a few have pale green centres, and some quite reddish.

A little later in flowering is its close relation manuka or manuka rauriki (Leptospermum ericoides). It is usually a larger tree than manuka, but has tiny white flowers, drooping gracefully, and smaller leaves, which if crushed have a delightful aromatic ecent, like some kinds of eucalyptus trees, to which it is related, both having essential oil glands in their leaves. Recently, when the Auckland Botanical" Society had an excursion to Titirangi, we eaw high up on a tree a beautiful climbing rata covering the top with deep

crimson flowers. It was carmine rata,

which is not quite so common as some of the ratas, but seems to be flowering very well now. Just by the new scenic drive was another larjie patch climbing' up a steep bank this time— ami just a curtain of red. There are about 11 members of thi» family (metrosideros), but carmine rata (M. •diffusa) is easily distiijruished from the rest, as it flowers about October, and the others from about December onwards, and orange rata, or aka (M. Florida), which is familiar to nearly everyone, flowering as late as June, its bright orange-red flowers hanging over stumps and old trees in the bush, or on the fringe. Of course pohutukawa and rata (M. robusta) are two of the best known ones in the North Island and in the South Island, the familiar one is not so tall, and is called Southern rata (M. lucida).

Down near the sea pohutukawas are covered in little soft pale green flower buds and leaf buck, but higher up in the Waitakere Ranges, where the salt spray never reaches, is where the etately rata lives, and growing near is a tree which at present looks whitish, but that is because it is covered with small flowers, and it is called tawheowheo (Quintinia serrata), and belongs to the saxifrage family. The flower heads are whitish colour, two to three inches long, and the leaves are narrow and easily distinguished from other trees in the bush by its very wavy margins on the edge of the leaf.

In winter time some of the leaves of tawheowheo turn vivid antumn tints, and by that the tree can be easily recognised. Soon, with the hot sun of summer will many trees, both coastal and inland, produce their flowers and berries, each striving to look beautiful, as Mother Nsfture intended they should, so keeping our countryside bright with and the rest is up to us to help by protecting them.