NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 13

NATURE NOTES

NATIVE PLANTS

SPECIES NOW IN FLOWER

(By R. H. D. Stidolph, R.A.0.U.)

November, is another highly favour- -.--•• ed month lor the flowering of, many '■ New Zealand plants',the most, pio- <; minent, .the most -abundant, - : . arid- perhaps' the most. profuse being the'two manukas, which npwadorn many; locali- : ties with their attractive 'white flowers., The larger-flowered species, perhaps the ' commonest plant of the; twd,y bears" ; scentless flowers, but -these . of- the . smaller-flowered" species are most" : der,:. liciously fragrant.;- -The -flowers of--ine. ' former : are' usually from half tan yinch ■'. to ■ three-quarteri, Of -an: inch in; *dia-." • meter, bat .those of the latter .are :about orie:third of an inch; in diameter. The 1 fragrant manuka grows to a' larger tree, . ; however, specimens being.known..Kity,: feet high and with a dianieteT of one. to three feet, but in wind-swept^ loc*^ties, at high levels/-both:species"becoine'. prostrate and are,redilced;.in height.iClb. a few ;inches. Perhaps- the ;'inaiiuk»Vi<r ; apt to be despised; en account^ofr.,ite> • abundance, but 'its. .beauty •Cwourj--B«. ; hard to excel. ".-Rather;, largo., ;areas.','of.. ...; manuka copse, occur ;on;: Kapiti:;l6lan<J,. .' and the lack of undergrowth is as-not- I iceable as in the- case-of--a -Pinus insig-v..----is forest. On Kapiti, .its; presence ap.^ y pears to indicate (that jt,.has.;taken ■$§.;.;.■■ place of a former forest growth at one-' * time destroyedrby.fire.i It us-yery-pleag-:ing fo Jind a large.';area ;.of.the. Welling-.: ton; Botanical GardensLclfcthed ;.in.;jnanur .!. ka. It is •as characteristic; of New ; Zealand as the -prolific fbrestsyind-'a'g; ■> such should ; be,preserved-iri its<hatu'ial-' state. ■■!£.' has a charm all iU own. ■ ; »• -■; ■"

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The ngaio; common; as ""»:.;■ gatdtn, ;. shrub, iii Wellington, is;npw;bearin|f*itjr ; > white, lilac-spotted - flowers.; It.; favourt ■ '■,/ the !sea .coast and .ig hot Very -often'v, found -far. : inland. Some • magnificent: .' specimens of the ngaio occur Ton* tli* 1.. , banks of the Bnamahuhga-Rivejrt* near- •".':' Mastertoiii As a "young, tree -it. ig. most: : •'•■ beautiful, but-. %vith age", the;' lower </.v branches get broken, off ,and the'tree t". .-■ Becomes gnarled and.distorted. Its chararacteristic leaves appear," when held; tV: the light, as if speckled ;withJ;w.hUe >J, dote. This 1 appearance -:is due- to .the- • leaves being full of translucent■■■■•. oil-^ n, ■ glands. - The.; titoki; a Chandsome; ...tree) often comprising a. large: portion .of : thV.-; y | forest, is at present bearing its flowers V - |in : panicles) which appear-to' be; red? o dish brown -in colour;; Irom.'.the - deep \ , "colour of the anthers. ; The ;jet ; blac^rseed, however, embedded- in ■ its ecarlet -envelope with- flattened crest and": ; one side terminating- in;;a spur, i» per- ' haps more attractive* than the minute/ , flowers. The mahoe, aßother- jtbiini;, '-; : dant bush tree, has' commenced to pro-:'; duce its minute greenish-;ellpw floweni| J borne in fascicles upon tho branches, be-, ■ low; the; leaves. The ■ violet-coloured '.-. berries, are much sought after by n'at-,: : ive pigeons: The wineberry, t6o,jhas/ ,' commenced to flower, .iand its handsome';'' appearance is further enhanced by the'■;..' large panicles of flowers, varying rin colour from a giant rosy plush 'to a deep ■ claret. This tree is. known as a fire- : {wieedj as' in bush clearings-afterla bush •; fire it is one of the first plants-to make its appearance.l It is quite abundant. The beautiful kaikomako is also be- , ■• decked with its nunierbug waxy-white. ■ fragrant flowers. This plant is particu- - larly notable. in that; in'-. .■ its ypunjf state its appearance is: yasily different from that: of the matured tree.. When full grown it attains a height of twenty to thirty feet, with -broadly oblong glossy leaves, about two 'inches in j length, and would then hardly be con? ' nected with ita young state,; character- ■. ised by the long, flexious, interlacing/ branches, and imall sparsely-borne leave*. " ": " :,' : ' '.' '.. ■" ■■'■ '. -;.'

The inappropriately, named eabbageV tree is '' now in • flower, the delightful scent, of its panicles of white or cream ~ • flowersifeeing especially attractive;.lt ; is said .that;this name/was given to the plant by the early settlers, .who ,nsed / the young and ." tender heads in place of cabbage. It is -: characteristic, 'ot • •.-.. New Zealand scenery and it* appearance gives a tropical touch to' the".', countryside.; These trees -are noted ; for : their great vitality—it appears almost , impossible: to kill them. The pepper: tree, the' fcawakawa, its' heartshaped leaves, is also adorned with I drooping, slender catkins. The tree;sufI fers! severely, however, ; from the rayages of the' kawakawa moth, it being exceedingly': hard to ' locate a ;«peei-/";■'. men the leaves of which are entire and not largely' eaten away. The curious ; New Zealand brooms, Garmichaelia, are : < how'bearing' their small, though pretty % plumes, which are notable for their ;..' colour and ■ markings. , The flowers of the .common species ,posߣss;,;a . eweet., scent.: The reduction of leaf •■ in these plahltsTiai'>ljeeii"carrie'd almost \- tb the disappearing point," as they ".are leafless .except when very 'young;,."The ;; ; mature shrubs are characterised by their grooved flattened branches, ifea-• ■. ture which is very useful to the plant , in various ways. The strange method in which the.pod opens to allow _ the . seeds to escape must/be mentioned.' The .. sides: of ;the'seed;pbd fall. a^ay. ■when" the fruit, is ripe, and the tiny-Wack or scarlet seeds are left hanging by a slended thread fromthe.bare.frame- vwork of the pod. The native species; of muhlenbeckia are s now showing their small flowers, but perhaps the' black , nuts ; enclosed ;' in the white,-'fleshy perianths are • more . attractive: ; These plants, which are more' or less rambling climbers, are quite 1 abundant. The , beautiful parsonsia is bedecked with its fragrant panicles' of white '-flowers;V and as it is a climbing plant it show* itself ,to advantage. ;It.;,is'.aribther^ew\ I Zealand plant remarkable.fpr its diver-;; sity of leaf forms at .different*stageß:;in'• i its growth. -The rata-vine,;flne'of the - most remarkable climbers of the New Zealand forest, should:*now be bearing . its apparently orange-red or „ crimson ' flowerß, borne in large terminal cymes.' . The stem of this, rate can often be seen ascending to the tops of-the highest ; trees. This plant must: not be confused with other species of rata. Many . believe that all the ratas strangle -the trees , lipoiy which they, ire •■support- . ■ cd. This is. riot 'the: case.,Some'species, like the' one noted' above, ''are:"climbers or shrubs, others like the pohutukaAva are handsome trees, but the-North Island ( rata very often begins : life" is an epiphyte, high, up in/thevforkslof the trees. As the plaijt develGpsvit'setids; down; roots towards the ground; and later these.slowly enclose the' stem- of the supporting tree, which at" last us crushed by; the grip, of the.rata'.:. The flowers of the rata are quiet, conspicuous and: most attractive, but it is"the-, numerous arid long: stamens' that--atM so mucli to their beauty.' '.".'.'■'".■■■''■■■-'