Art. XXXVI.—Some Hitherto-unrecorded Plant-habitats.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 37, 1904, Page 361

Art. XXXVI.—Some Hitherto-unrecorded Plant-habitats. By L. Cockayne, Ph.D. Communicated by A. H. Cockayne. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 2nd November, 1904.] In what follows I am indebted to my friend Mr. D. Petrie, M.A., F.L.S., for the identification of the grasses, and for that of the Carices and Unciniæ to my esteemed correspondent Pastor G. Kukenthal. Filices. Gymnogramme pozoi, Kunze, var. rutæfolia, R. Br.* The plant referred to here is probably the form described by Potts as G. alpina. Growing in crevices of steep rock-faces, in full sunshine, and exposed to the violent north-west wind, Lower Gorge of River Waimakariri, Upper Canterbury Plain. Hymenophyllum rufescens, T. Kirk. On steep stony ground in shade of forest, lower subalpine region, Kelly's Hill, Westland. Notochlæna distans, R. Br. (1.) On old stony bed of River Kowhai, Kaikoura Plain, Marlborough. (2.) On rock-face, in full sunshine, Lower Gorge of River Waimakariri, Upper Canterbury Plain. Isoeteæ. Isoëtes alpina, T. Kirk. On the gravelly bottom of Lake Letitia, near Mount White, and of the tarns on the ancient moraine at Lochinvar, lower mountain region of the Waimakariri district, northern Canterbury. Gramineæ. Danthonia australis, Buchanan. Growing in light sandy loam and thickly covering the ground of steep hill-side in shade. In places there is little else than this remarkable grass, but usually Celmisia incana, Hook. f., var. petiolata, T. Kirk, and Cel. lyallii, Hook. f., grow through it here and there; or there may be a few plants

of Danthonia crassiuscula, T. Kirk, as well. Source of Nigger Creek, in the Candlestick Mountains, northern Canterbury, at an altitude of about 1000 m. Danthonia oreophila, Petrie. Subalpine meadow, at source of Nigger Creek. Poa pusilla, Berggren. (1.) On rocky ground, Dog Island, Foveaux Strait. (2.) Common near the new road at base of Bluff Hill, Foveaux Strait Poa dipsacea, Petrie. “A small form.”—D. P. Head of Nigger Creek, in subalpine meadow. Deschampsia novæ-zelandiæ, Petrie. “A very slender form.”—D. P. Growing in ground where water frequently lies for a considerable time, on terrace of River Poulter, near base of Peveril Peak. Agropyrum enysii, T. Kirk. Spur of Candlestick Range, near Lochinvar, northern Canterbury. Cyperaceæ. Uncinia filiformis, Boott. (1.) (Herb. L. Cockayne, No. 7804): This form, according to Kükenthal, is typical. Growing in interior of Nothofagus cliffortioides forest at the base of the Black Range, subalpine region near source of River Waimakariri. (2) (Herb. L. Cockayne, No. 7864): In Dacrydium-Nothofagus forest, almost at sea-level, Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Sound, west coast of Otago. Uncinia riparia, R. Br., var. laxiflora (Petrie), Kük. Open ground near tableland forest and also within the forest, Chatham Island. This plant is probably the U. rupestris, Raoul, of Buchanan's list,* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. vii., 1875. and it is the plant mentioned in my paper on the vegetation of Chatham Island.† Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxiv., 1902, pp. 310–12, 313. Uncinia cæspitosa, Col. (Herb. L. Cockayne, No. 7868): Chatham Island. The precise station is uncertain, but most likely it is interior of lowland forest. Carex wakatipu, Petrie. (1.) East face of Mount Torlesse, Canterbury; altitude, 1,500 m. (2.) Near summit of Mount Fyffe, Seaward Kaikoura Mountains, Marlborough.

Carex comans, Berggren. (1.) Wet ground near roadside, Diamond Lake, Otago. (2.) Near shore of Foveaux Strait, base of Bluff Hill, Southland. (3.) Meadow of Centre Island, Foveaux Strait; very common. Carex comans, Bergg., var. Cheesemanni (Petrie), Kük. Wet ground near Lake Brunner, Westland. Carex petriei, Cheeseman, var. suberostris, Kük. (Herb. L. Cockayne, 1531): Growing amongst moss in running water, Mount Earnslaw, Otago; altitude, 1,250 m. Carex pseudocyperus, L. In running water, valley of Little Kowhai, base of Mount Torlesse. Carex darwinii, Boott, var. urolepis (Franch), Kük. Lowland swamp near Lake Huro, Chatham Island. This plant has not been previously recorded for the New Zealand biological region, and forms another link between the floras of New Zealand and South America; it, according to Kukenthal, having up to the present only been known as occurring in Patagonia. Carex dissita, Sol., var. neesiana (Endl.), Kük. Chatham Island, but exact station uncertain. Probably the C. lambertiana of Buchanan's list (l.c.). Carex litorosa, Bailey. Sea-shore, Broad Bay, South Westland. Liliaceæ. Astel petriei, Cockayne. Subalpine meadow, Mount Torlesse Range. This habitat is here given because the plant is essentially one of the wet western region, being particularly common in the alpine meadows of Westland. Amaryllidaceæ Hypoxis pusilla, Hook. f. Abundant on the stony plain near West Melton, Canterbury Plain. Fagaceæ. Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. f.), Oerst. Occurring gregariously in the Nothofagus cliffortioides forest, and can be recognised at a distance by its colour and form. Junction Hill and Poulter Mountains, near source of River Poulter.

Urticaceæ. Urtica ferox, Forst. (1.) Near roadside, Jackson's, Westland, distant twentyfour miles from the sea. (2.) Forming, with Muehlenbeckia adpressa and Pteris incisa, a dense thicket at base of rocks near the sea. Polygonaceæ. Muehlenbeckia ephedrioides, Hook. f. Stony bed of River Conway, near its source, south Marlborough. Chenopodiaceæ. Atriplex billardieri, Hook. f. Shore of Ruapuke Island, Foveaux Strait. Rhagodia nutans, R. Br. Rocky places near sea, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury. Ranunculaceæ. Ranunculus traversii, Hook. f. Source of the River Poulter, in the Snowcup Mountains, not far from where Travers originally discovered this species I also collected it on Walker's Pass; it is therefore probably found in alpine meadows all over the Snowcup Range. The plant, which is here referred to the above species, has the leaves both reniform and peltate, while the flowers are pale-yellow, and not cream-coloured as described by Hooker. Mr. T. F. Cheeseman is of opinion that this plant is not R. traversii. It has somewhat the appearance of being a hybrid between R. lyallii and a large - flowered yellow buttercup growing in the same locality, which is either a variety of R. munroi or of R. insignis. Ranunculus sericophyllus, Hook. f. (1.) On old morainic deposit near source of River Otira, Westland. (2.) Very plentiful near source of River Poulter, in the Snowcup Range, growing on a stony slope in soil of little depth, but moist, and containing plenty of humus. Ranunculus lyallii, Hook. f. One plant observed almost at sea-level, Milford Sound, west coast of Otago. Ranunculus tenuicaulis, Cheeseman. (1.) Sources of River Poulter. (2.) Kelly's Hill, Westland. In the “Students' Flora,” Craigieburn Mountains is given on my authority, but this is a mistake, the specimen having been collected in Westland.

Monimiaceæ. Hedycarya arborea, Forst. Forest, Preservation Inlet. This habitat is cited because the neighbourhood of Jackson's Head is given in the “Forest Flora” as the then-known southern limit of this plant on the west of the South Island. Cruciferæ. Cardamine enysii, Cheeseman. On rocks, source of Nigger Creek, Candlestick Mountains, northern Canterbury, at altitude of about 1,400 m. Rosaceæ. Acæna glabra, Buchanan. A frequent plant of subalpine shingle-slips and dry stony ground in all parts of the eastern climatic region of the Waimakariri, Canterbury. Geum uniflorum, Buchanan. An extremely common plant of subalpine and alpine meadows and moist, shady, rocky places in Westland. Leguminosæ. Swainsonia novæ-zelandiæ, Hook. f. Growing on shady side of a shingle-slip facing east, in fine stony débris which is rather moist; some of the plants under shade of stunted beech-trees, Mount Torlesse Range, at altitude of 1,010 m. I also saw it at 1,050 m., growing on summit of a rock in very shallow soil in shade, and again at 1,100 m. as a plant of the alpine meadow growing on a steep slope of dry stony loam facing north and north-east. Rutaceæ. Melicope mantellii, Buchanan. In low forest near River Hapuka, Kaikoura district, Marlborough. Elæocarpaceæ. Elæocarpus hookerianus, Raoul. Forest on Bluff Hill, Southland (Captain and Mrs. J. Bollons). Araliaceæ. Nothopanax simplex (Forst. f.), Seem., var. parvum, Kirk. (1.) On river-flat, Kelly's Creek, Westland (D. Petrie and L. Cockayne). (2.) Now forming a portion of the new growth where the forest was cleared some years ago for the Midland Railway, near the River Teremakau, Westland.

Pseudopanax lineare, C. Koch. Frequent in Westland subalpine scrub. Umbelliferæ. Angelica trifoliata (Hook. f.), Cockayne. Sphagnum bog near summit of Porter's Pass, Canterbury. Aciphylla colensoi, Hook. f., var. conspicua, T. Kirk. Common in the subalpine meadows of the Snowcup Mountains, Canterbury and Westland. Boraginaceæ. Myosotis capitata, Hook. f., var. albiflora, J. B. Armstg. Growing in peat, on moist rocks, in shade. Shore of Foveaux Strait, base of Bluff Hill, Southland. Myosotis antarctica, Hook. f., subsp. traillii, T. Kirk. Gravelly beach, Waipapa Point, shore of Foveaux Strait. A plant from this locality is growing well on the rockery, Biological School, Canterbury College. Scrophularinaceæ. Veronica cheesmanni, Benth. On old moraine near source of Otira River, Westland Only a few plants observed. Veronica haastii, Hook. f. On stony débris, facing east, Mount Rolleston, Arthur's Pass. Veronica raoulii, Hook. f. Stony river-bed of River Hawkins, Canterbury Plain (T. W. Adams). Calceolaria repens, Hook. f. On shady moist rocky banks, in company with Nertera depressa, Fostera sedifolia, and Gunnera monoica, Otira Valley, Westland. Also in shade of forest, on rocks, Mount Rangitaipo, in lower subalpine region. Plantaginaceæ. Plantago uniflora, Hook. f. On flat sandy ground formerly occupied by dunes near New Brighton, Canterbury. Compositæ. Olearia excorticata, Buchanan. Subalpine scrub of Westland; not uncommon.

Olearia capillaris, Buchanan. In Nothofagus forest, bank of northern branch of River Poulter, at altitude of about 800 m. Senecio rotundifolius, Hook. f. Near shore, south of Bluff Harbour, Southland. This records the occurrence of this plant much further to the east than given in the “Forest Flora,” p. 234. Helichrysum pauciflorum, T. Kirk. On dry rocks, Candlestick Mountains, at altitude of 1,200 m. Previously recorded from only one locality. It probably occurs on alpine rocks in many parts of the drier mountains of Canterbury. Helichrysum coralloides, Benth. and Hook. Source of the River Conway, South Marlborough. Senecio latifolius, Banks and Sol. Extremely common near the head-waters of the River Poulter, as it issues from its gorges. Celmisia walkeri, T. Kirk. A most characteristic plant of the subalpine meadows of Westland, and of moist rocky places in the same region. Celmisia petiolata, Hook. f. Alpine meadow at source of River Kowhai, Mount Torlesse Range (A. H. Cockayne). Celmisia spectabilis, Hook. f. Rare in subalpine and alpine meadows of Westland. This is essentially a species of the drier mountain regions. Haastia sinclairii, Hook. f. On shingle, summit of Kelly's Hill, Westland. Gnaphalium paludosum, Petrie. Wet ground, Arthur's Pass. Raoulia haastii, Hook. f. A most abundant plant on recently formed dry subalpine river-beds, forming large green cushions.* See photo in Schimper's Pflanzengeographie, p. 685, fig. 392. Western part of the Waimakariri River basin Also on river-terrace, Otira Valley, Westland.