NOTED BOTANIST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23170, 17 October 1938, Page 14

NOTED BOTANIST

| [VISIT TO DOMINION PROFESSOR C. SKOTTSBERG WORLD AUTHORITY; ON PLANTS A world authority on -plant distribution, particularly in- the Southern Hemisphere, and also on sub-Antarctic land connections, Professor" C. J. F. Skottsbcrg, director of ihe Botanic Gardens at Gothenburg, Sweden, arrived in Auckland yesterday by the Aorangi. ■ • > Professor Skottsbcrg was accompanied by Miss Lucy Cranwell, botanist at tho Auckland' War Memorial Museum, with whom he carried out research into, the peat bogs of Hawaii. Miss Cranwell was awarded a Bishop Museum Fellowship by Yale University earlier this year in order to undertake the work and left for Hawaii in May. "The peat bogs exist in the highlands of tho Hawaiian Islands, where the climate in these areas is very wet," said Professor Skottsberg. "Scientists have been there before, but no lengthy or systematic study of the bogs has been carried out previously." Climatic Conditions Professor Skottsberg explained that borings were taken to different depths in the bogs, and samples taken for analysis in the laboratory to determine earlier climates. The system was to etudy the pollen grains in the peat, as pollen, by its resistance to decay, enabled the type of vegetation to which it belonged to be determined. From this the climatic conditions, that prevailed at the time of the deposit could be found. t Lectures will be given by Professor Skottsberg in the main centres in New Zealand, and after spending five weeks hero he will leave for Australia, whence he will return to Sweden by air. In the course of his researches he has travelled widely, tho countries visited including South America, South Georgia, Easter Island and Juan Fernandez. Miss Cranwell stated that tho work at Hawaii had been purely field work, and the analysis of the samples would have to be completed before any results of the visit would be available. One difficulty was that the deposits comprised largely one type of tree, as was the case in the New Zealand peat bogs, where she had been doing similar work for the past three or four years. Interesting Visit The visit had been of great interest, added Miss Cranwell. The party, which consisted of Professor- Skottsberg, his Swedish assistant and herself, badlived for the most part in tents and huts and their baggage had been carried by Filipino porters. They had visited the main islands of the group and none of tho work had been carried out at a lower altitude than 4000 ft.

Professor Skottsberg and Miss Cranwell wore met by Dr. H. H. Allen, representing the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. Gilbert Archey, director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Dr. C. H. Tewsley, chairman of the Auckland Botanical Society, and Mr. T. L. Lancaster, lecturer in botany at Auckland University College. Later in the week Professor Skottsberg will examine the peat swamps outside Hamilton.