Critical Notes on certain Species of Plants doubtfully indigenous to Kawau.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 9, 1876, Page 525

Critical Notes on certain Species of Plants doubtfully indigenous to Kawau. By T. Kirk, F.L.S. Viola filicaulis, Hook., fil. The most northern habitat known, and quite unexpected. Colobanthus billardieri, Fenzl. This is extremely rare north of the Waikato; at least I never gathered it in Auckland district.

Miontia fontana, Linn. Doubtful. The nearest habitat for this plant is fully 250 miles further south in the Taupo country. Potentilla anserina, Linn. The same remarks apply, and additionally it has not been previously found north of Auckland Isthmus. Metrosideros albiflora, Banks and Sol. Quite unexpected at so low an altitude in the north, as anything to be found on the Kawau does not occur at Cape Colville and Manaia under 1,500 feet at least. Eryngium vesiculosum, Labill. Not known in an indigenous state north of the East Cape. I have seen it cultivated at Matakana. Lomaria elongata, Blume, and Lomaria alpina, Spreng. Certainly not indigenous to Kawau. Lomaria banksii, Hook., fil. Extremely rare and local north of Waikato. Doodia caudata, Br. Doubtfully indigenous in Kawau. Asplenium umbrosum, J. Sm. Doubtfully indigenous in Kawau. Scirpus triqueter, Linn. On my last visit to Hokianga, May and June, 1876, I made special search in that locality, the Wairoa, Kaihu, Bay of Islands, etc., for this plant, but without success. It is extremely rare in the Auckland district; the most northern habitat known to me being Shortland. I do not think Juncus lamprocarpus occurs north of the Wellington district. It certainly would not be found on Kawau unless it also occurred on the adjacent islands or the mainland, from all of which it is absent. Galium tenuicaule, A. Cunn. I doubt the occurrence of this plant north of the Auckland Isthmus. Craspedia fimbriata, D.C. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Gnaphalium filicaule, Hook., fil. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Erechtites prenanthoides, D.C. Not found on adjacent mainland or outlying islands. Prasophyllum colensoi, Hook., fil. Not found on adjacent mainland or outlying islands. Juncus vaginatus, Br. Is this not mistaken for some form of J. australis, Br.? The J. vaginatus of my Great Barrier list is certainly nothing more than an open-panieled form of J. australis. Still, true J. vaginatus ocurs on Motutapu, where I think it attains its northern limit. Juncus novœ zealandiœ, Hook., fil. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Isolepus aucklandica, Hook., fil. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Gahnia procera, Forst. (Query? G. paciflora, Kirk, MS., is plentiful in Kawau.) Uncinia cœspitosa, Boott. Query? rubra, Boott. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Deschampsia cœspitosa, Pal. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau.

Festuca duriuscula, L. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. Hymenophyllum minimum, A. Rich. Certainly not indigenous on Kawau. bivalve, Swartz. Some form of H. multifidum, Swartz, has been mistaken for H. bivalve, which does not occur, even at Cape Colville, under 2,000 feet altitude. Note.—[I am indebted to Mr. Kirk, who is well acquainted with the botany of the Auckland district, for several additional species collected by him on Kawau Island not found by myself there. They are distinguished in the lists by the addition of Mr. Kirk's name.—J. B.]