Art. XXVII.—Abnormal Growth of a Plant of Phormium colensoi.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 36, 1903, Page 333

Art. XXVII.—Abnormal Growth of a Plant of Phormium colensoi. By the Right Rev. W. L. Williams, D. D., Bishop of Waiapu. Plate XXV. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 6th July, 1903.] In the month of February, 1896, having occasion to walk round the rocks at Blackhead, my attention was attracted by a plant of Phormium colensoi, growing a little above high-water mark, which was then in seed, the seed-capsules being accompanied with numerous persistent bracts, which were then quite dry. A specimen of this was brought away and sent to the late Professor Kirk. A few seeds which dropped from this specimen were sown, and one of the plants raised from that seed is the subject of this paper. On this plant in the spring of 1900 one scape appeared, which did not grow to a height of more than about 3 ft. One or two abortive flowers were produced, but instead of more flowers a cluster of buds appeared, each of which produced a number of leaves from 12 in. to 15 in. long. These buds were afterwards cut off and planted, but none of them took root. In 1901 four scapes shot up, the growth of each of which was arrested at the height of about 3 ½ ft., no flowers being produced, but each scape being crowned with a large cluster of leafy buds, like the scape of the previous year, the leaves being now from 18 in. to 2 ft. long. In 1902 four scapes again appeared, three of which are about 7 ft. high. These all produced flowers and seeds in the normal way, though the flowers

developed irregularly as to time, some of the seeds having ripened early in May, while at the present time (23rd June, 1903) there are capsules which are not yet fully ripe. In the course of the summer the upper portions of these scapes began to be clothed with leaves, which are now from 6 in. to 12 in. long. The growths of 1901 are still fresh and vigorous, one of them having produced, in the early summer, a scape about 18 in. long, which bore a few flowers and ripened seed. Since the above was written a succession of flowers has been produced upon some of the upper branchlets during the months of August and September.