Art. VI.—Some Additions to the Flora of the Westport District.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 46, 1913, Page 30

Art. VI.—Some Additions to the Flora of the Westport District. By D. Petrie, M.A., Ph.D. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 3rd December, 1913.] Mr. Townson's fruitful investigation of the vegetation of the neigh bourhood of Westport has made botanists well acquainted with the phanerogamic flora of this very interesting district. Early in the present year I paid a visit of a few weeks to the scene of Mr. Townson's labours, and largely through the kindness of Mr. P. G. Morgan, Director of the Dominion Geological Survey, was able to examine a number of interesting localities not usually easy of access. The additional species that I noted do not form an extensive list, as very few of the plants native to the district escaped Mr. Townson's vigilant search. One or two of fairly common occurrence have probably escaped record by accident in handling so large a collection as he got together. Two or three of the species in his list appear to me to have been incorrectly identified. The Senecio so common near Cape Foulwind I should without hesitation refer to S. elaeagnifolius Hook. f., and not to S. rotundifolius Hook. f. I examined a great many specimens of this shrub, and found that the leaves, though more coriaceous than usual, are nearly always longer than broad, in outline more or less ovate or ovate-oblong, and not rarely waved or repandly toothed at the margin. At an elevation of 2,300 ft. or so on the Longwood Range, Southland, specimens of S. elaeagnifolius may be seen in the forest with leaves approaching those of S. rotundifolius much more closely than do any to be found near Cape Foulwind. The occurrence of S. elaeagnifolius close to sea-level at Cape Foulwind is not as surprising as might at first sight appear, since the vegetation of the lowland water-logged pakihis near Westport is mainly that of subalpine moors. The grass referred to Agrostis parviflora R. Br. seems to me the ordinary small-flowered form of A. Dyeri, that grows in some plenty on all the open lowland and submontane districts around Westport. As this grass was collected at an elevation of 3,000 ft. on Mount Rochfort, it is on that ground alone unlikely to be A. parviflora, which is not known to reach elevated habitats. The Raoulia that grows sparingly near the top of Mount Rochfort, and in great abundance on the shingly spurs near the tops of the Buckland Peaks, is certainly not R. mammillaris Hook. f., as Mr. Townson's list has it, but is in all likelihood a form of R. eximia Hook. f. with more truncate leaves and barer leaf-tips than that species usually shows. The Celmisia coriacea Hook. f. of Mr. Townson's list I am describing elsewhere in this volume (p. 33) as a new species. It occurs near sea-level at Charleston, where it is most variable in size, and is the commonest Celmisia above the bush-line on the Buckland Peaks. It seems doubtful if C. coriacea occurs on the mountains flanking the West Coast in the Buller district. The list of additions is as follows:— Hoheria populnea A. Cunn. var. vulgaris Hook. f. Buller Gorge, near Inangahua Junction, and Mokihinui River, near the mouth. Tillaea Sinclairii Hook. f. Damp hollows in sandhills north of Westport Harbour.

Metrosideros Colensoi Hook. f. Limestone cliffs near Little Totara River, and Mokihinui River, near the mouth. Hydrocotyle tripartita R. Br. Sand-banks of Mokihinui River, near the mouth. Panax anomalum Hook. On edge of bush at Mount Rochfort, and near Addison's Flat. Coprosma tenuicaulis Hook. f. Common on wet alluvial flats near West-port, and in similar positions throughout the district. Olearia capillaris Buchanan. Sources of Nile River, Western Paparoas; J. A. Bartrum! Celmisia Morgani Cheeseman sp. nov. (ante, p. 21). Shaded slopes in bush near mouth of Ngakawau River, Blackwater River, and Buller Gorge near the same. Celmisia semicordata sp. nov. (post, p. 33). Charleston, near sea-level; common above the bush-line on the Buckland Peaks. Raoulia eximia Hook. f. Top of Mount Rochfort; common on shingly slopes of Buckland Peaks, at 3,000–4,000 ft. Phyllachne Colensoi Bergg. Wet spots on the higher parts of the Buck-land Peaks. Gentiana vernicosa Cheeseman, var. Mr. Townson referred this plant to G. Townsoni Cheeseman. It seems much nearer to G. vernicosa, though my specimens are seldom branched and hardly match the typical form, which Mr. Cheeseman has kindly lent me for comparison. G. Townsoni may not occur at all on the Buckland Peaks, and is, in any case, very rare there. Calystegia tuguriorum R. Br. Common on alluvial flats near Westport. Limosella tenuifolia Nutt. Wet hollows in the sandhills north of Westport Harbour. Veronica angustifolia A. Rich. Buller Gorge, not far from Inangahua Junction. Pimelea Urvilleana A. Rich. Coast cliffs at Charleston. Dacrydium laxifolium Hook. Buckland Peaks, above the bush-line; not rare. Juncus pauciflorus R. Br. Wet peaty spots at Cape Foulwind. Scirpus nodosus Rottb. Sandhills at Rahui, near Charleston. Schoenus nitens Poir. North branch of Westport Harbour. Carex subdola Boott. Fairly common in swampy open stations about Westport. Carex uncifolia Cheeseman. Wet ridges near tops of Buckland Peaks. The specimens were in poor condition, but they no doubt belong here. Carex Buchanani Bergg. Buller Flats, south of the staiths, Westport. Carex Gibbsii sp. nov. Open swampy flats at Cedar Creek (near Denniaton), 1,760ft.