NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 22688, 30 June 1937, Page 6

NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB

VEGETATION OF AUCKLAND PROVINCE At the fortnightly meeting of the above club on Monday evening. Dr J. E. Holloway gave' a general account of the vegetation, of the Auckland province. Tho Waitakere ranges are densely covered with very heavy bush, mainly bv tawa, with a little taraire and kauri. Many of the trees in the northern forest are susceptible to frost, and are not found in the south, e.g., taraire, northern rata, rewa-rewa, torn, and two celery pines. There is thus a greater variety of trees in tho north, and a correspondingly greater variety of shrubs. Anyone going to the North Island forest is struck by the number of plants lie does not know. The shrubs in north include ackana and Weinmaunia sylvicola. Among the small plants there are many astelias, one being known as kauri grass. The clay gum lands provide some of the most peculiar vegetation in New Zealand. The soil of hard, dense clay is baked dry in summer, hut is quite moist in the spring. It was once covered with kauri, but now is rather fearsome looking gahnia and other sharp cutting sedges growing up to 10ft in- height among bracken and manuka and olearia furfuracea. The conditions here seem to be suitable for lycopods, many varieties being found making vigorous growth. Lycopodium densum, which may, in manuka, be Bft or 9ft high, is probably the most typical plant of the clay gum lands. Lycopodium cernium is a very characteristic variety, ■which sends out looping branches. L. laterale may be found in boggy places, and Phylloglossum comes up above ground in late autumn, forms cones, and sheds spores in spring ,and then dies down to a tuber for the summer. Here, also, is found the pigmy cabbage tree, the tip of which grows down into the ground and acts as a food storing organ. ■ The Waipoua State Forest Reserve consists of 40,000 acres of reserve forest, and is one of the most magnificent forests in tfce world, and botanists the world over are proud of it. A large staff of foresters is kept busy guarding and surveying, the forest and raising and planting seedlings of kauri. Fortunately, it is in a very wet climate, and therefore there is little danger of fire.

The kauri is remarkable for its clean, straight trunk, from which tho bark regularly scales off, forming a mound at the base of tho trunk. No moss or lichens grow on the kauri trunk, but a wealth of vegetation may be found perching on the branches—orchids, astelias, lycopodiums, and ferns. Tho vegetation under the kauri is limited, consisting mainly of kie-kie, spiderwood tree, kauri grass, and other small plants. In the forest one finds stands of young kauri, _ indicating that regeneration is taking place. _ . In another reserve, in addition to kauri and taraire. may be found most of the conifers, white pine, black pine, miro, and totara, which here grows into a forest tree, perhaps Bft in diameter. The volcanic island of Rangitoto, at the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, is covered with dense vegetation, and presents a unique field to the botanist. The soil is composed of scoria, and there is no running -water on the whole island. In the summer it is- very hot and dry, but the plants obtain moisture from the particularly heavy dews at night. The chief trees are Northern Rata, Griselinia lucida (broadleaf), and Pohutukawa, which are able to withstand the dry conditions. The humus which has collected for ages in the huge crevices in the scoria is always damp, and forms a convenient seed bed for all kinds of plants which grow as perching plants in the forest, orchids, kidney fern, and all kinds of filmy ferns being abundant. Round the margin of the island arc large mangrove swamps, which are also of scientific interest.

The only animals on Rangitoto are wallaby and deer, and so far they do not appear to have had any effect on tho vegetation. SATURDAY’S OUTING.

On Saturday afternoon a number of members met at Queen’s Drive, on the Anderson’s Bay road, and proceeded along the Portobello highway towards Waverley, noting especially the plants at various points. Mid-winter though it was, with the temperature correspondingly low, the absence of wind made walking very pleasant, while silver reflections on the harbour, mist and snow effects on Flagstaff, Swampy Hill, and Mount Cargill, and later the colouring of clouds at sunset reflected in the quiet waters of the bay added to the delights of the walk. Immediately below Sunshine the bulrush bed was noted in its usual winter condition, a mass of dry, withered broken leaves, its round, white underground stems full of sap and life. Near the sea wall were healthy clumps of Salicornia, with its

curious slate and orange colouring, and tho ■ introduced plantain ' Plantago coronopus—the only English plantain with pinnatifid leaves. On the other side of the bridge specimens of green and brown and red seaweeds were gathered. Here several dead octopuses were lying among the rocks. On the steep banks on the right a large number of plants, both native and introduced, were observed-. The introduced plants included many weeds—watercress, monkey musk, cleavers (or goosegrass), scarlet pimpernel, fumitory, and' bartsia. Native plants included Helichrysum glomeratum; Nertera, with its head-like crimson berries; native iris, with orange capsules; ngaio, in flower; a large-leaved willow herb, Haloragis, with its fourangled stems; several Coprosmas, Ghenopodium triandrum, and the intriguing little ditch plant, Callitnche verna. Ferns were numerous, too, species of Polypodium, Blechnum, Asplonium, and Polystitchum. The rare fern Cheilanthes was searched for in vain, but an interesting find_ was a flourishing plant of the maidenhair fern, Adiantum affine.