NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1929, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

SOME MOUNTAIN PLANTS

VISIT TO MITRE ' PEAK

(ByK.-IJ, I). Stidolph.)

At 'd-u-altitude of 4000 .feet on the slopes of Mitre Peak, in the Tararua,Kariges, a small almost inconspicuous .plant, not two .inches high, was in, bloom"1 on.the occasion of a visit in the end- oi January! ' It' waf a member of the family of plants, Umbelliferae, which include such ..well-known vegetables as tho'caiTot and., parsnip.. The 'pUi'ut' HkcU.wus .one of: the twenty, or so species of Anisotom'e, which occur-In New Zealand— Anisotome aromatica. This particular representative, and. others in the vicinity, wore, however, much dwarfed in. comparison . witbJ .other. "■"varieties of '-thf species, which grow: as much as ten ' times bigger. ; This plant-is abundant".from the East. Cape to Foveaux -Strait,- and occur* from about loOO.feet tq;'6sotf, feet,altitude. Curiously, only one other species of Anisptomeis found in .the N<>rth: Island, the remainder, except three) oil"; s.ubr Antarctic islands, occurring in vine. South Island. The most,handsonieof,the speqiesare those on the southern islands.' These are indeed noble plants, ranging 'in 1 height fronr three to six or even eight feet;,: The speeiea found 'on Mitre, Peak-was^ transferred to the writer's, garden, and although it flowered i this season and is thriving well it has 'not. assumed greater .■ proportions in, muck niore congenial conditions.;-Y v , .

■The "fiimily Umbelliferae.is.a very large ' and extremely- distinct;oitej-. joceurring all over the world", but "most-plentiful in Western Asia, Soutlf ]£urppe;:.iind,North Africa, being rhvur-.in the Tropics arid.iri the South Temperate Zone:". 'Tue':-'nHmbpr'jOf species ■ is estimated at 2COO, raudvihe'genera about 200. The; properties'- of:' the' family are tremely varied. Several secrete a poison- ■ ous and narcotic, aci-id ■.sai),...Bueh as hemlock and fool'?-parsley.,;. ..Many speciea produce aromatic-and carminative'fruits, as caraway, 'coriander, dill) "'etcv^VJn addition to the carrot, and.parsnip. 1, th'e'iamily contains" the ccleiy," parslejv and fennel: Other members of lhe>family-are characterised by the presence of a gum resin. Probably the best-known members of the family in New Zealand arc the plants known familiarly as the, wild Spaniard.. These plants an? confined to New Zealand^ except for -two species occurring in the Australian Alps. The genus is mainly characterised by the remarkably distinct habit and .the spinous leaves and^ tracts ;.of'its-members. ' The twenty-five- New Zealand species are very difficult "of-'-discrimination. Only thre? species are found,in the.North Island, the South Island: being 1 the stronghold of this , peculiar plant. -Some of. the species grow; upwards to. eight feet or more in height,* but' others ■ are: mere dwarfs'. - -';•'"'■ '

„"' N6t:l'ar...away ;froin this- little- plant grew, a. beautiful clump; : ;o.f.i'jiflOUntaih' daisies, Celmisias;■'-. This species, Celmisia. spectabilis,. is.-'a -very.;distinct one, easily recognised by the short,.narrow rigid leaves, densely clothed beneath;with palebuff woolly.tonientUm. : This'plant was not very common ■on the mountain, but its beautiful .:flowers.;showed:, up-•,most' conspicuously. . --.;On:." Mbjuit; Holdsworth, another peak of- the Tararua Ranges, Celmisias. grow iiiCprofiision;,7a^d:'a" visit to the mountain/iii" January reveals a wealth of- bloonv that- caiAiever be forgotten; The mountain- daisies, except .for-.; one species found in: Australia: and Tasmania, are cortiined. to' New Zealand. :--.:Therc are nearly sixty species found in the. Dominion, but again the. South ' Island'SljiimV -'.the- great bulk of them... Beautifukas inanyof the species; are,' the niost "noblei3s.-tlie'..'. i pne known' as Celmisia coria'cea^;.;<:\yhen, '". it grows to' perfection tit liasj" a ishprt, 1, stout stein;- which, :witli .!tlie."old;.":lSaf Jsheaths, is sometimes- as thick"'as a. jn'ali's wrist, and is crowned with riunierous sjireading and erect lanceolate leaves.-.." From, these • arise one or several stout scapes, "bearing flowers sometimes more. .than. three, inches in diameter. Many of tlvei species are difiicnlt- to 'discriminate. ■. Alfhough; so highly characteristic, of^.the.inountain regioris, representativcs:of some species are also;found on the coast,^ one-in. particular i'ormiug huge masses cm the-faces of sea cliffs in Otago.'-, -An'other-occurs, from- sea level' to 5000 feet. . . < - '-^ .: „

Another pretty plant growing on Mitrs Peak, just above the bush line, or at least on its borders, is one of the'native daphnes —Pimelia Gnidia. " This shrub giwys as . liigli..as : ;five 'feet 1, and' ; .ihj December and January: is. prettily, a,dorued with,-white ■or pale rose flowers in compact and manyflowered heads-. It has ;a local distribution ;in several' parts_' of the North and South Islaixds, occurring from sea level to 4000. feet \ altitude.; .■.Fifteen species of, Pimelea are- recognised fin:jNew" Zealand, all endemic; . .The genus'is"confined almost to Aiistr'alia^and New "Zealand, but there are also species in <Tinior; and Lord Howo Islands. Probably the most beautiful of the New Zealand.speciesJs,th.e one known to the-.Maoris .as ,tara'nga,'" P-inielea longi-" folia.' It is di.stinguishable by its glabrous habit, .large leaves: and ,-.-.-many-flowered heads of large white flowerß. A few hundredfeet furthertip the niountain another little, plant belonging to |the same family— ■ Thymelaeaceae—as. the .Pimelea „was discovered, a; small {creeping irn'lich-branched plant.; It was'Drape.tes Di^ffijhbaclm. It is a;commonp!aut in inbuntaih districts.