PIONEER BOTANY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 12, 16 January 1928, Page 11

PIONEER BOTANY

AND KEW GARDENS

NEW ZEALAND FLORA EXPLORATORY STAGE The Eoyal Botanic Gardens, Kcw, have played a great part in the botanical pioneering of the world in general, and of New Zealand in particular. When a frontiersman of botany had carried out a raid in New Zealand in the early decades of last century, it was to one of the eminent Hookers that he" sent the spoil, and probably his herbarium found an ultimate rest-ing-place at Kcw. Mr. J. C. Bidwill, whose deeds in 1539 and later have lately been referred to in tho "Evening Post," sent his collections to Sir W. J. Hooker; about that time Sir J. D. Hooker would be with the Erebus-Ter-ror (Sir James Clark Boss's) expedition to tho Antarctic, which left England in September, 1839. From 14th August to 23rd November, 1841, tho expedition was at tho Bay of Islands, and Hooker (J. D.) was himself actively engaged in botanical collecting, assisted by Mr. Colcnso and Dr. Sinclair. "With the departure of the Antarctic Expedition in 1841,' writes Dr. T. F. Cheescman,".' the first period of botanical discovery in New Zealand—that of investigation by visitors from abroad—may be said to have closed." It was at tho "Eoyal Gardens, Kew," in July, 18G4, that Sir J. D. Hooker .signed the dedication page of his "Handbook of tho N.Z. Flora," dedicated to Sir George Grey. And now another head of Kcw is visiting Now Zealand, in tho person of Dr. A. W. Hill. So New Zealand is well known at Kew, and Kow should be looked to with gratitude by every Now Zealander. KEW RECALLS MEMORIES. Having been tho receiving house for most of tho discoveries of early botanical explorers, amateur and professional, Kew probably has the most complete set of New Zealand herbarium specimens in existence. Sir J. D. Hooker was one of the first group of honorary members to be elected to the New Zealand Institute in 1871. Kow recalls many memories. It has the herbarium of Allan Cunningham and of his brother Eichard. New Zealanders who see Allan Cunningham's memorial in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, should remember that New Zealand botany owes him much. In 1825 the Botanist and Superintendent of Sydney Botanic Gardens was Charles Fraser, who landed in the Bay of Islands for a day and made a - small collection of plants, but shortly after ho was succeeded by Allan Cunningham, who in 1826 put in five months in this country—then under tho black shadow of the Maori Napoleon, Hongi —and (according to Cheeseman) "through tho assistance afforded by the resident missionaries he was able to explore the greater part of tho Bay of Islands district, and to visit Whangaroa and Hokianga, making extensive and valuable collections." It may bo remarked here, by way of chronological comparison with other events in Now Zealand, that in tho following year the misison station at Whangaroa was destroyed by Hongi's forces In 1828 Hongi died. ALLAN CUNNINGHAM RETURNS. The same North Auckland district was explored by Kichard Cunnigham for nearly five months in 183:5, and in 19.'!8 Allan Cunningham himself paid v second visit to New Zealand, remaining at tho Bay of Islands throughout the whole of winter and early spring; "but (adds Cheescman in his 'Manual of the New Zealand Flora,' to which this article is indebted) the precarious state of his health prevented all active work, and his collections were consequently small. He returned to Australia in October, 1838, utterly exhausted and worn out 'by twenty-five years of unwearied exertions and laborious travel,' and after lingering a few weeks died at Sydney in June, 1839"—the year in which Bidwill ascended Ngahauhoe. In 1839-40-41 Ernest Dieffenbach, as naturalist to tho Now Zealand Company, made extensive- travels in Now Zealand. His bontanical collections wore presented to Kcw harbarium, but, according to -Sir J. D. Hooker, are "most scanty, compared with the great extent of interesting ground ho passed over." A GRAVE BY THE RANGITATA. Men who, while living in this country, collected for Kow included tho Kcv. William Colenso and Dr. Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, who was drowned in an imprudent attempt to ford the Eangitata in 1861 while engaged in botanical exploration. Dr. Sinclair collected with Sir J. D. Hooker and Colenso in 1841, was for .several years Colonial Secretary, retired after the establishment oi' Parliamentary government, and as a private resident later made further bontanical collections. His grave by the Rangitata is one of the most eloquent pioneering landmarks in the South Island. Although ho never published anything important on New Zealand plants, ho was ono of those who provided the men of Kew with much invaluable material. Another was' the Eev. W. Colenso, who wrote 59 papers on botanical subjects for the New Zealand Institute, and who in his botanical wanderings was thn first European to reach Waikarcmoana and the ford to cross tho Euahines. This list is far from complete, but it will at least servo to illustrate the pioneering efforts of the early botanists and tho inspiring intluence of Kew.