THE NATIVE FLORA

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 7

THE NATIVE FLORA

DISPLAY AT MUSEUM

A GREAT VARIETY

Several hundred vases and about a : hundred flower pots are needed to contain the display of native plants at the Dominion Museum. This display has become an annual event,; : and is de>*;i>' ; knowledge of and interest "in New •- Z . Zealand's indigenous flora. At no one ; ; time previously have so many different '.native plants been brought together for exhibition. There are between , three and four hundred species in the y■"'. collection, which is a thoroughly repress';- . sentative one. Naturally only the ■'•',;. smaller plants can be exhibited actually growing, and these are the, occu'.pants of the pots. In the vases are sufficiently large pieced of other plants, ; including shrubs and1 trees, to make . their identification easy, and anyone : studying the display will come away A '■■ with, a very comprehensive idea about -;, thj nature and variety of New Zea- • land's indigenous flora. , The'alpine ; ; flora, forest trees,; mosses, and ferns v al-L have their place in the display. -/:; Not the least important aspect of the :; exhibition is the excellent- series ' of "■;•;: water-colour paintings of; New Zealand ■': ''■;■''■ plarits. These are the work of Miss 'U : Christine L. Watkins, of Gisborne, and Vshow in lifelike and accurate, picture '.'••■-'• form many plants which, owing to y their nature, it is impossible to exhibit ■ In the flesh. Some of the pictures are • of comiinorier plants, while others are ; of varieties, such as the blue-flowering .cabbage tree and the white or yellow j puriri. 'They dispel, as Dr. W. R. B. .Oliver, pointed out at the opening cere- ; mdny yesterday, over which-Professor H. B. Kirk presided, the illusion that the New Zealand flora is colourless. ; Mrs. Kndx Gilmer, who opened : the show, congratulated those responsible for the display. A realisation of the beauty of New Zealand's flora was • slowly sinking into the consciousness of ;r the people of the Dominion; she re- •.;• marked, yet it hurt to see the wanton ■ of tree ferns to make a ">'balustrade for the> Maori house at the • l;; Exhibition. SuchSthings showed that ■■.''■•■ we had still a long "way to go in the - matter of preserving the country's beautiful flora. ■ i ; The display will be on view until January 21, and it is one that all city .dwellers who are not conversant with the Dominion's'flora should make a point of seeing/ Visitors to Welling- .■; ton for the Centennial, Exhibition should also find time, for a visit to the t . ■■■■'- Dominion Museum for the purpose of . seeing "this display. No matter' from what part of the Dominion they come, ' they are bound to find it both interest- ' ing and instructive, since ttie Domin- ' ion's flora varies so widely according to locality. Some-of the plants on 'view have'come from the extreme ) north and south by aeroplane, others " have been rspeciaily collected from the Tararuas, and some have come from private gardens and public reserves. ;More plants are due to arrive today . and tomorrow.1