EXPEDITION TO NELSON

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30745, 8 May 1965, Page 21

EXPEDITION TO NELSON

Rare Plants Found I A grass which had not : been recorded for about 701 years, and three unnamed. species of lily, were dis-1 covered by the Lincoln Col-I lege Students’ Association Field Club in the Lake CobbMount Arthur area. The students, under their club; president. Mr I. M. Ritchie,' went into the area in latej February and again at Easter.: The grass which was rediscovered was Simplicia laxa. recorded from the Wairarapa, North Otago, and north-west Nelson last century but not recognised since. The identity of the sole specimen brought back by the club was confirmed by Mr V. D. Zotov, of the Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The lilies were collected for Dr. Lucy Moore, also of Botany Division. They were of the genus Astelia, somewhat similar in form to the New Zealand flax except that the flower-head is hidden in the foliage. Although Astelia is widespread over the Pacific, north-west Nelson has more species than anywhere else and several species are found nowhere else. One discovery made by the club was of a whole hillside covered with Astelia of a species previously thought to be very rare.! Most of the plant material' collected by the expedition i will be used to build up a herbarium recently started at the college and held for the moment in the soil science department. The students hope the herbarium will eventually be officially recognised by the college and a staff member appointed to take charge of it. The expedition marked out several trial plots on various typical sites and recorded in detail the vegetation and signs of animal occupation The intention is to make similar recordings in five years' time for comparison. Geological specimens were also brought out by the party. The area has a rich variety of rock outcrops of ages varying from recent to some of Ihe oldest found in New Zealand.

I Commission on Salaries in ( Kuala Lumpur, appointed by ■ His Majesty the Yang DiPertuan Agong—an assign- • ment which may last 18 ; months. Mr Duff, who will soon jleave for Kuala Lumpur to take his place on the com- ' mission, had first-hand exI perience of Malaya during I World War 11. He served I there with the Royal New 'Zealand Air Force, and was j a prisoner of war of- the for three years and a-half. I Mr Duff is well known in j Christchurch as the former J land purchase officer for the 1 Crown in the South Island, a s post he held for a number of years. Projects he was assoI ciated with include the Ham ■ university site, the hydroelectric schemes at Benmore, Pukaki, Tekapo, and Rox- ' burgh, irrigation schemes, and housing blocks in Christj church and other South ' Island centres. Mr Duff is a graduate of ■ the University of Canterbury, with the degree of B. Com., and a member of both the New Zealand Society of Accountants and the Institute of Valuers. He first joined the Public Service in the old Public Works Department in Christchurch in 1926, subsequently serving in various parts of New Zealand. After several years in Christchurch as Land Purchase Officer he became District Administrative Officer in Dunedin, and was later promoted to chief inspector of the Ministry of Works. In 1959, he was appointed to the State Services Commission as its senior South Island officer. Mr Duff was the chairman of the reunion committee for the Prisoners of War Association's convention being held in Christchurch in .lune.