Art. XXXVIII.—Plain and Practical Thoughts and Notes on New Zealand Botany.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 24, 1891, Page 400

Art. XXXVIII.—Plain and Practical Thoughts and Notes on New Zealand Botany. By W. Colenso, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. [Read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 15th June,'1891.] Class III. Cryptogamia. Order VI. Hepaticae. On this occasion, having been unexpectedly called on by our Honorary Secretary (on my recent return from sojourning in

the bush district) to furnish a paper for this evening's meeting, I come before you very much in the character of an “emergency man.” And, in thinking over what I should bring before you, I have determined to say something concerning what I have frequently seen with delight while away among our dense forests in the interior. Of course you know of the two great living kingdoms of nature—namely, (1) the animal and (2) the vegetable. This latter, the vegetable or botanical kingdom, is very properly divided into two great groups—the phÆnogamous or flowering, and the cryptogamous or non-flowering. (And here I will say, for the benefit of the younger portion of my audience, that I will endeavour to explain all hard scientific and technical words and names as I go on.) The phÆnogamous or flowering group contains two great natural classes—the monocotyledons and the dicotyledons. To the monocotyledon (or one-seed-blade) class belong all plants of the grass, corn, lily, palm, onion, and very many others, including the large orchideous order; these all take their one distinctive name from the single cotyledon or shoot (sprout or tiny blade) which emerges from the seed or grain in germinating: while to the dicotyledon class belong all plants whose seed possess two cotyledons, leaves, or seed-lobules, as are so clearly shown in germinating in the pea, bean, radish, mustard, clover, &c. The cryptogamous or non-flowering class is so called from not possessing perfect flowers, as are found in the flowering group; or, at all events, from their not being so apparent. In this great third class there are nine orders, which I shall briefly mention, and in so doing give you familiar instances of them all. 1. Ferns—for which, as you know, our colony bears a great botanical name from the rarity and beauty of many of them; and not only so, but some of them were to the ancient Maoris verily “the staff of life” (as bread-corn has been called with us)—the common fern, the aruhe of the Maoris, Pteris esculenta = edible Pteris, as it was rightly named by Forster, the able botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his second voyage to New Zealand and the South Seas, and who often witnessed the general use made by the Maoris of its roots. This fern was of very great value as an article of food to the old Maoris, and was dug up and harvested and stored by them with much care for future use. And here I should inform you that, although this species of fern is so very common throughout all New Zealand, yet the best and prized edible root was not so common, and only found scattered in suitable soils and places: hence the common error respecting it by the settlers, who, in ploughing up the ordinary

fern-lands, marvel at any human being deriving nourishment from the fern-roots. Wishing to show good specimens of it at one of our Institute meetings some years ago, I got some through our resident Maori chiefs, obtained from inland beyond Te Wairoa, seventy miles distant. And I recollect being shown a small isolated volcanic hill, far away in the interior in the Taupo district (when I was travelling in those parts nearly fifty years ago), that was famed for producing firstquality fern-root; and for the possession of that hill battles had been fought and much blood shed. The officers of Cook's expedition ate of it when prepared by the Maoris, and praised it, remarking that it resembled London gingerbread. Then, there were also other ferns used as food by the ancient Maoris, particularly the inner stem, or large succulent semigelatinous pith, of the large “black fern-tree,” the mamaku of the Maoris =Cyathea medullaris = marrow-stalked Cyathea (also justly so named by Forster, who, in his writings, compared the soft edible pith, of which he had eaten, to sago). But I must pass on from the useful and pleasing fern order. 2. Lycopodiums—of which order we have several species, though of little known use Perhaps L. volubile (or twining Lycopodium) is among the prettiest. This plant was formerly used by the young New Zealand females to make neat and simple wreaths for their heads; and certainly, from its graceful slender form and light-green colour, it was well adapted for their raven locks. One other species, L. densum, I may also briefly mention, from its being considered very nearly allied to the large fossil Lepidodendron of our British coalshales. 3. Marsiliaceae—Of this small and curious order we have only one species in New Zealand, Azolla rubra, a peculiar-looking water-plant, which may be commonly seen in large quantities, red, and floating on the lakes and pools near Te Aute and in the bush district, and in other small still waters. It was on the small fruits or capsules of nardoo (Marsilea gigantea), an allied plant of low humble growth, that the explorer Burke and his party, when they were in great distress from want of food, subsisted for some time in the interior of Australia, where it grows abundantly on the extensive plains of that country. 4. Mosses.—Of these elegant productions of nature New Zealand has a good share, some of them being really superb, and prominent among the largest and handsomest of the order. 5. Hepaticae—This order is also well represented here; but, as I intend to make it the main subject of this paper, I pass on.

6. Characeae.—A small order of peculiar water-plants containing only two or three genera, of which we have two, Nitella and Chara, and, somewhat curiously, seeing their species are few, three species of each. 7. Lichens.—Of these strange aberrant vegetable productions we have several genera, and very many species of almost all conceivable shapes and sizes, many of them being also very rich in striking and bright colours, especially while living and after rains. It is really a grand, a superb sight to see an old tree, living or dead, in the still forests, closely covered with lichens—literally bedizened—and looking magnificent in its diversified multiform and many-coloured living decorations. 8. Fungi, or the great Mushroom Order—whose manifold shapes and forms are still more strange and bizarre than those of the preceding order of lichens; and, while some are very small, among the minutest of all vegetable productions, others are exceedingly large and heavy, even as much as, or more than, a man can well lift. Many of them (like the common mushroom) are of quick sudden growth, soft, and short-lived; while others are of very slow growth, exceedingly hard and tough, and of long continuance. A few of our New Zealand Fungi were articles of food with the ancient Maoris; but the principal edible one, Hirneola polytricha (commonly known by the appellative of the order, “fungus”), has long been a commercial article of considerable export, so much as 339 tons, valued officially at L15,581, having been collected in the forests in one year for the Chinese market, for the purpose of making into soups. When dried (and it is only purchased in that state) it is exceedingly light tough and horny, and will keep well for many years. 9. Algae, or marine and fresh-water weeds—of which our seas and rivers have their full share. A few of the shore seaweeds were also used as articles of food by the ancient Maoris residing near the sea—not, however, commonly, but as dainties; and not only so, but, when dried, sent as presents to friendly tribes residing in the interior, who made the return in fat forest-birds—pigeons and parson-birds—potted in their own oil. Of those nine courts or natural divisions in the grand temple of cryptogamic vegetable nature, I choose No. 5, Hepatica, for my subject to-night; and the main cause of my so doing is my having lately received a letter from the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, containing a very long list of Hepatica from the celebrated cryptogamic expert, F. Stephani, of Leipzig, lately determined by him, numbering 1,027 specimens (or, rather, separate packets), being portion of a very large lot I had collected in our forests during several years and sent to Kew last year. This list I now

lay before you; and the species nova contained in the same,* See above, Art. XXXVII., p. 398. now named by him, will form the subject of a future paper. Moreover, as an adjunct or minor cause is the fact of my recent return from those dear old sequestered haunts in the dense and lonely forests where I had again been admiring those lovely productions of nature. In 1864, Sir J. D. Hooker, in his “Handbook of the Flora of New Zealand,” writing on this order, says, “Of the Hepatica (about 212) here enumerated, the greater majority were discovered by Mr. Colenso and myself, and were new to science on the return of the Antarctic Expedition to England” (loc. cit., p. 498). Since then, owing to many subsequent discoveries, I suppose the present number known of our New Zealand Hepatica to amount to about five hundred. Many of them are endemic; some are also found in Tasmania and in Australia, in the far-off antarctic islets, and at Cape Horn and Fuegia; while others are strictly identical with species denizens of the British mountains and of the South American Andes. Here, then, there is food for thought—whether such productions, now found so very far apart in the two hemispheres of the globe, were originally specially created, or whether developed; and, if the former, whether together at one time at both ends of the globe, or, if singly, which first. And here I may mention a letter I have lately received from a skilful naturalist in the South Island. I had sent him some living molluscs (univalve land-shells) I had lately detected on a living tree in the forest, which seemed to me peculiar. In his reply he mentioned having lately found a species of land mollusc which is identical with a specie3 hitherto only found in Java, and which he considered as proof of these two countries, that and this, now so far apart, having been at some distant period geologically connected. I cannot, however, agree with him in his conclusion; and I merely mention this as bearing in a slight degree on the finding of the same species of Hepatica occupying the extremes of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Numerous as our endemic species are, some of them are both very rare and local, while others are very common and plentiful. Some are generally epiphytical—that is, growing on other species, and on mosses and on some of the smaller ferns, particularly on Trichomanes elongata and Hymenophyllum demissum, one species in particular not unfrequently completely and closely covering the upper surface of the frond in the former plant with its pale delicate fringes, which are the more conspicuous from the very contrary colour of that dark-green fern; the branches of many living trees, even the topmost of

the tallest, including branchlets that are dead, are often clothed with them; the steep sides of streams and mouths of caves abound in species; and even isolated stones and boulders, and dry hardened logs denuded of their bark and exposed to the hot rays of the burning meridian sun, possess them, exhibiting most astonishing proofs of their endurance and long vitality; even dry black and charred logs, extra heated in the sun, are often thickly clothed with a small red species, bearing fruit too, presenting an uncommon appearance after rains. Many of them are very beautiful, being most exquisitely and symmetrically formed and adorned; each species, however minute, possessing the greatest regularity in shape and size of leaves, in their delicate fringes and their mathematically-formed cells, &c., and this in its most delicate and microscopical distinctions. I am not aware of any of them being of service or use to man, only that a few of the larger species of the genera Lophocolea and Chiloscyphus that are odoriferous were formerly prized and eagerly sought after in the woods by the ancient Maori females to impart a fragrant scent to their anointing-oils, as well as to wear in little sachels around their necks* These were also worn by the men (chiefs). Parkinson says,” The principals among them had their hair tied up on the crown of their heads and some feathers, with a little bundle of perfume hung about their necks” (Journal of Voyage, p. 93). To such an extent was this perfume valued that it was also both used as a proverb and sung in a loving nursery song. Oh! there are curious things of which men know As yet but little—secrets lying hid Within all natural objects. He who findeth out Those secret things hath a fair right to gladness; For he hath well performed, and doth awake Another note of praise on Nature's harp To hymn her great Creator. Some of our principal genera I will briefly mention, as I purpose showing you mounted specimens of some of their species, and plates of others faithfully drawn and coloured, with their dissections highly magnified, in illustration. I trust that, at least, the ladies of my audience will not be discouraged on hearing their proper generic names, supposing them to be sadly uncouth and unmeaning, and totally unfitted for such delicate and elegant forms; for such is really not the case, as I hope to be able to prove to them. Generic names of plants are usually chosen with two objects—1, to indicate and perpetuate the proper name of the botanical discoverer, or of some distinguished patron or friend of the science; 2, to show some striking specialty of the plant itself, the type of the genus—for this purpose a suitable Greek

name Latinised (simple or compound) is used. Thus, among those of our New Zealand HepaticÆ we have—of the former class, (1) Jungermannia, in honour of L. Jungermann, a botanical author; this genus is a very large one—formerly (and until the last forty-five years) nearly all our present genera were included in this one: (2) Frullania (another large genus), named after Signor L. Frullani, an eminent Italian statesman and great patron of botany: (3) Lejeunia (a very large and cosmopolitan genus, stated by Hooker in 1864 to contain 236 species, which have been largely increased since), named in honour of Dr. A. L. S. Lejeune, a botanical author: (4) Gottschea, “a noble genus, almost confined to the Southern Hemisphere, and abundant in New Zealand” (Hook., l.c., p. 512), named after the celebrated cryptogamic botanist and author Dr. C. M. Gottsche: and of the latter class—(1) Trichocolea =hairy sac or bag (such being the state of its calyx); (2) Polyotus =many ears (from the very peculiar appearance of its neat little concave and lobulated leaves); (3) Isotachis =equal-rowed spike or ear—as of wheat, &c. (the leaves of this elegant species forming two close and very regular rows, while a third and similar row is formed of its large stipules); (4) Plagiochila =oblique lip, or mouth—of its calyx; (5) Madotheca =bald, smooth, largely-rounded capsule, issuing from its calyx bag or case; (6) Mastigobryum =whiplash-like moss (from its very long and slender scaly aërial rootlets, resembling the scaly stem of a minute Lycopodium, a peculiar and striking feature); (7) Lepidozia =scaly bud (gemma), from its general appearance; (8) Chiloscyphus =cup-shaped lips, from the form of its calyx; (9) Psiloclada =slenderly branched, sparingly leaved;(10) Zoopsis =rigid, silvery, scaly, animal-like;(11)Aneura =with out nerve. Now, these and suchlike generic names (and there are many such among our New Zealand plants) convey a true and useful primâ facie meaning to those who know the Greek and Latin languages, and such natural names aid in properly placing newly-discovered species under their respective genera. And, strange as it may seem to English ears, such names are far more scientific and serviceable than many of those common and plain ones of our English plants, as alder, ash, apple, cherry, oak, larch, plum, &c. Here, I think, I may properly relate a striking observation of Bishop Selwyn's on this very subject of (the so-called) “hard botanical names.” The Bishop had been looking over my manuscript scientific catalogue of New Zealand plants (which I had collected from various sources for my own use, there being then no published work on New Zealand botany) for their names for his “Church Almanac;” and, he having casually remarked on “the reproach of the science” (its often

hard and uncouth names), and coming to Urtica ferox =fierce stinging-nettle; Phormium tenax =tenacious basket-weaving plant; Pteris esculenta =edible fern; Arundo conspicua =conspicuous prominent reed (and suchlike), the Bishop said, “Now, this is what I like. In these names is contained intelligent and useful information, even to a stranger or novice in botany.” The fascinating wonders of Nature are indeed greatly displayed here in this order to the inquiring mind and eye. Here is to be seen the perfection of elegance and beauty in her humblest productions. Permit me to more particularly call your attention to the specialities of some of our genera of this order—e.g., in form, so intricately and finely compound, almost bewildering, yet regular—Trichocolea; and, on the other hand, so very simple—Symphyogyna: in size, Plagiochila, some of which are large dendroid and tree-like, branched and nearly 1ft. high, resembling small shrubs; while others of this same genus are very minute: in extreme fineness and delicacy of structure—Zoopsis and Psiloclada in remarkable close regularity, shape and position of their imbricated leaves—Isotachis, Madotheca, Mastigobryum: in their charming rich and varied colours (on the one plant), golden, orange, purple, emerald-green, &c.—Polyotus: in elegance and richness of superb cutting and fringing—Gottschea, Chiloscyphus: and, generally, in their minute cells, their structure, shape, regularity, and mathematical correctness; in their endurance, retaining life though daily heated and scorched, crisped and dried up by the summer's sun; in the excessive minuteness and regular form of their microscopical spores (seeds), &c.; in the highly curious manner of the distribution of their seeds when ripe, which is done by coiled and double-spiral elaters, or springs. Not unfrequently, when alone in the low, secluded, damp dells and gullies of the umbrageous forests, far away from man, surrounded by these beautiful gems, and contemplating them in their luxuriant perennial growth, their pleasing elegant profusion, and almost endless variety of forms, have I been led to exclaim,— Who can this field of miracles survey, And not, with Galen, filled with rapture, say, “Behold a God! adore Him, and obey”! And here I may briefly remark in passing (and so, possibly, anticipate a question) that it is all one to me, at such times, whether those many and varied, yet regular and symmetrical, forms were produced by creation or by evolution. Rather, however, would I set the consideration of that deep and difficult question aside that I might the more fully drink in and enjoy the exquisite living scene before me.

I will now lay before you a few dried and mounted specimens illustrating some of the principal genera I have mentioned; but in so doing I must premise that, just as the planets and distant large objects are the more clearly revealed by the aid of the telescope, so also these minute ones are by the aid of the microscope. Indeed, without it their beauties and wonderful formation and structure are wholly unknown, being invisible to the unassisted eye. Here, also, in several large botanical volumes on the table are faithful coloured and magnified drawings of many species, with their microscopical dissections. These well-executed plates will best show these lowly yet lovely plants, and will no doubt interest you more than the dried specimens. In some of the later volumes of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute I have described several new species of HepaticÆ. Both in detecting and in collecting, and also in working at them under the microscope, I have enjoyed many a pleasant hour; such sometimes even serving to powerfully neutralise chronic rheumatic pains. I am happy in knowing that the study of this order of plants has become increasingly popular of late years—that is, abroad, all over the world; for I regret to say such is not yet followed here in New Zealand. I have received several letters from cryptogamic botanists in both Europe and America, who were desirous of studying our New Zealand HepaticÆ; but I am unwillingly obliged to decline, at my advanced age, the taking-up with any new scientific correspondents, involving the collecting and transmitting of specimens, though a few years ago I should have rejoiced in doing so. It grieves me not a little when I reflect on the utter carelessness of our colonists generally (both old and young) toward all scientific pursuits. Superior education, though so largely praised and attended to by our rising generation, seems to have effected very little in this respect. The study of botany, especially of the cryptogamic class, and more particularly of this order HepaticÆ, is a highly-pleasing one. It is of a calming nature, beneficial and mentally profitable to the student, leading him genially on “through Nature up to Nature's God.” In conclusion, I must ask forgiveness of my audience for the roughness and disjointedness of my paper, as but little time was allowed me for its preparation; hence its hurried and somewhat irregular form. The principal books referred to as containing faithful and valuable plates of HepaticÆ, also shown on this occasion, were— 1. “Botany of the Antarctic Voyage,” Hooker fil., vols. i., ii., iv., vi., with coloured plates.

2. “Species Hepaticarum,” Lindbg. et Gottsche, coloured plates. 3. “HepaticÆ AmazonicÆ et AndinÆ,” Spruce. 4. “British JungermanniÆ,” Hooker, coloured plates. 5. “Musci Exotici,” Hooker, vols.i. and ii. And several small but more recent works, containing well-executed plates of various species.