PI
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IV FLOKA OF KEW ZEALAND.
A s tro la b e ), a n d a c comp an ied b y M . L e sso n , a d is tin g u isb e d n a tu r a lis t. T h e com b in ed co llectio n s o f
th e s e in d iv id u a ls a n d tw o voyages, am o u n tin g to 2 0 0 species o f flowerin g p la n ts a n d F e rn s , w e re p u b lish
e d b y th e la te P ro fe s so r A . B ic h a rd , in h is ‘ E s s a i d ’u n e F lo re de la N o u v e lle -ZU au d e .’ T h is is
a w o rk o f co n s id e rab le m e rit, in w h ich were in c lu d ed a ll F o r s te r ’s p la n ts in th e P a r is M u se um , w ith
e x tra c ts from liis M S S . th a t a c com p an y th em .
O n th e e s ta b lishm e n t o f C o lo n ial G a rd en s a n d b o ta n is ts a t S y d n ey , N ew Z e a lan d be c am e a n o b je
c t o f especial in te r e s t to th e la tte r , an d th e B a y o f Is la n d s was v is ited b y M r. C h a rle s F ra z e r in
1 8 2 5 , b y h is su ccesso r A lla n C u n n in g h am in 1 8 2 6 , b y Richar-d C iu in in g h am (b ro th e r to th e la tte r)
in 18 3 3 , a n d ag a in b y A lla n in 18 3 8 , d u rin g w h ich v is it th is in d e fa tig ab le co lle c to r c o n tra c te d , tln-ough
exp o su re an d fa tig u e , th e Ulness w h ich te rm in a te d h is life a t S y d n e y in 1 8 3 9 . A fte r h is firs t exp
ed itio n A lla n C u n n in g h am p re p a re d h is P ro d rom u s , w ld ch was p u b lish e d in d e ta ch ed p o rtio n s in
sev-eral b o ta n ic a l p erio d ic a ls* . I n th is h e e n um e ra te d a ll th e p rev io u sly p u b lish e d species o f F o rs te r
a n d A. R ic h a rd , b u t th e w o rk is so u n s a tis fa c to ry a n d in c om p le te th a t were i t n o t fo r th e in v a lu ab le
h e rb a rium o f b o th C u n n in g h am s , n ow in M r. H ew a rd ’s p o s se ss io n i, I sh o id d h av e fo u n d i t im p o s s
ib le to h av e q u o te d th e ‘ P ro d i'om u s ’ w ith a n y d eg re e o f confidence.
A m o n g s t th e e a rlie r ex p lo re rs o f th is p erio d . D r . L o g a n , n ow a re s id e n t in th e colony, deserves
especial m e n tio n ; h is c o n trib u tio n s o f ex c ellen t sp ecimen s a rriv in g a t a tim e w h en N ew Z e a lan d
p la n ts were a lm o s t th e ra re s t, a n d scien tifically th e m o s t in te re s tin g . I t is hovv'ever w ith in th e la s t
twelve y e a rs , a n d since N ew Z e a lan d h a s a ttr a c te d th e n o tic e o f co lo n ists, th a t th e m o s t im p o rta n t
accessions to its b o ta n y h av e b e e n mad e , an d i t is to co rre sp o n d en ts, m o s t o f th em s till alive, an d
ac tiv e ly en g a g ed in p u rs u in g th e ir in v e stig a tio n s , th a t I am in d e b te d fo r th e m a te ria ls o f th e se
volumes. T h e R ev e ren d W illiam Colenso, D r. A n d rew S in c la ir, R .N ., m y lam e n te d frie n d J . T.
B idw ill, E sq ., D r. Dieffenba ch, M . R ao u l, a n d D r. LyaU, s ta n d p re -em in e n t as in d e fa tig ab le exp
lo re rs an d collectors. M r. Colenso’s re se a rch e s h av e e x ten d ed u n in te rru p te d ly over upvvai'ds o f
twelve y e a rs , d u rin g w h ich h e h a s tra v e rse d a g r e a t p a r t b o th o f th e co a st an d in te r io r o f th e N o r th e rn
Is la n d , a n d h a s b e e n th e p rin c ip a l c o n trib u to r to o u r k n ow led g e o f its b o ta n y . D r. S in c la ir h a s also
d evoted m a n y y e a rs to th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo ra , an d h a s m a d e n um e ro u s m o s t in te re s tin g discoveries,
especially o n th e e a st coast, a n d h a s tra n sm itte d su ch copious su ite s o f ex c e llen t specimens as are
m o s t v a lu ab le fo r b o ta n ic a l p u rp o ses. M r. BidwiU an d D r. Dio flen b ach w e re th e firs t ex p lo re rs o f
th e lo fty m o u n ta in s o f th e in te r io r : M r. B idw ill in d e ed a scen d ed b o th T o n g a riro an d th e N e lso n
ran g e , a n d fo rm e d co lle c tio n s o f th e g re a te s t in te re s t an d value, ac com p an ied b y v a lu ab le n o te s on th e
e lev atio n a t wh ich th e p la n ts were g a th e red , th e ir v a ria tio n s, p e rio d s o f flowering, a n d m a n y o th e r
im p o rta n t p o in t s j . M . R a o u l accomp an ied th e F r e n c h fiig a te L ’A u b e in 1 8 4 0 a n d 1841, a n d aga in
L ’AR ier in 1 8 4 2 -3 , d u rin g w h ich voyages h e m a d e a v e ry com p le te b o ta n ic a l ex p lo ra tio n o f B a n k s ’
P e n in s u la a n d th e B a y o f Is la n d s . H is adm irab le coUections w e re d ep o sited in th e J a r d in des
P la n te s a t P a ris , wh ere th e y were p la c ed a t m y disp o sal b y M . R ao u l, w ith w h om I h a d th o p le a su re
o f ex am in in g th em in 1845 ; a com p lete s e t was also d e ta ch ed fo r S ir W . H o o k e r’s H e rb a rium , an d
h a s b e e n o f th e g re a te s t u se to m e . A s e le c tio n from th e new species was d e sc rib ed by M M . R ao u l
* Under the title of ‘ Floræ Novae Zelandiæ Præcursor,’ in the ‘ Companion to the Botanical Magazine,’
vol. 2, and concluded in the ‘Annals of Natural History,’ vols. 1, 2, and 3.
t I am indebted to Mr. Heward’s liberality for the unreserved use of this extremely valuable collection,
I The Nelson Mountains have since been again explored by Dr. Monro, who has added a few remarkalde
novelties that had escaped Mr. Bidwill’s notice, and whose excellent collections arc, I hope, an earnest of still
further discoveries.
an d D e c a isn e in th e 'A n n a le s des Scien ces N a tu r e l l e s * / a n d th e b e a u tifu l 'C h o ix d e P la n t e s d e la
N o u v e lle -Z é la n d e / p u b lish e d in 1 8 4 6 , a w o rk a c com p an ied Avith iila te s o f r a r e exceUence as b o ta n ic a l
d raw in g s , a n d Avith a c a re fu l e n um c r a tio n t o f a ll k n ow n N ew Z e a la n d p la n ts , c om p ü ed from th e
co lle c tio n s in th e P a r is M u se um , a n d from M . E ic h a rd ’s a n d C u n n in g h am ’s F lo ra s .
I n 1 8 4 7 H .M .S t.V . A c h e ro n was com m issio n ed b y C a p ta in S to k e s , R .N ., fo r th e s u rv ey o f N ew
Z e a lan d , to ex p lo re th e w e s te rn a n d s o u th e rn co a sts ; a n d we a re in d e b te d to th e ex e rtio n s o f th e
em in e n t h y d ro g ra p h e r o f th e n av y . S ir F ra n c is B e a u fo rt, fo r th e s e le c tio n o f a n a tu r a li s t as su rg eo n
to th e ex p ed itio n . M y frie n d D r . LyaU, in w h o se com p an y I h a d fo rm e rly b o ta n iz e d in th e B a y o f
Is la n d s d u rin g th e A n ta r c tic E x p e d itio n i, was s e le c ted fo r th e s e rric c ; a n d d ev o tin g h im se lf, lik e M r.
M enzies, -with in d e fa tig ab le ze al to th e low e r O rd e rs esp ecially , h e am a ssed th e m o s t b e a u tifu l an d
im p o rta n t coUections in th e s e b ra n c h e s o f b o ta n y , th a t h av e ev e r b e e n fo rm e d ; b e sid e s m a k in g co n sid
e rab le d iscove ries in P hæ n o g am ic p la n ts , a n d co lle c tin g m a n y th a t h a d p re rio u s ly o n ly b een
g a th e re d b y B a n k s a n d S o la n d e r a n d th e F o rs te rs .
A s fa r as th e disco v e ry o f species is co n c e rn ed , th e above e n um e ra tio n b r in g s m e down to th e
p re s e n t s ta te o f oni- k n ow led g e o f th e N ew Z e a la n d F lo r a ; h u t i t rem a in s fo r m e to o b se rv e th a t
w ith in th e la s t tlire e y e a rs , in d e ed s in c e th e a n n o u n c em e n t o f th is w o rk b e in g fo rth c om in g , I h av e
b e e n fav o u red w ith m o re th a n a dozen coUections from v a rio u s p a rts o f th e is la n d . O f n ew g le an e rs
in th e field, I w o u ld especiaUy m e n tio n D r. M o n ro , M r. K n ig h t, th e R ev . M r . T a y lo r, C a p ta in
D ru ry , M r. Jolliffe, C a p ta in D . R o u g h , a n d L ie u te n a n t-C o lo n e l B o lto n ; a ll o f w h om h av e s e n t
v a lu ab le co n trib u tio n s . I t is tr u e th a t th e s e c o n ta in li ttl e n o v e lty , b u t th e y th row lig h t o n th e
d is trib u tio n o f th e species, an d afford m a te ria ls fo r tr a c in g th e ir g e o g rap h ic a l lim its .
F rom th e s e m a te ria ls th e 'F l o r a o f N ew Z e a la n d ’ h a s b e e n w o rk ed u p : its p ro b ab le c om p le te ness
m a y b e ju d g e d o f b y th e fa c t th a t th e is lan d s h av e h e e n b o ta n iz ed o n b y u pw a rd s o f th irty -fiv e
in d iv id u als, wh o se sp ecimen s h av e (w ith a few u n im p o r ta n t exc eptions) aU p a ssed u n d e r m y eye.
T h e F lo r a o f th e N o r th e r n Is la n d h a s h e e n to le ra b ly weU ex am in ed , so fa r as its flow e rin g p la n ts a re
co n c e rn ed ; th o u g h th e r e rem a in s a goo d d e a l to b e d o n e o n th e w e s t co a st, especiaUy in th e n e ig h b
o u rh o o d o f M o u n t E gm o n t. D r. LyaU a lo n e h a s co lle c ted in th e S o u th e rn Is la n d , o r o n th e w e st
co a st n o r th o f D u sk y B ay . T h e M id d le I s la n d h a s h e e n v isited b y few ex p lo re rs, its n o r th a n d e a st
coasts a lo n e h a v in g h e e n b o ta n iz ed : th e w e s t a n d th e wh o le m o u n ta in ra n g e re q u ire a ca re fu l su rv ey ;
an d co n s id e rin g how m a n y A u c k la n d a n d C am p b e ll Is la n d s p la n ts a rc s till s tra n g e rs to N ew Z e a lan d ,
i t c a n n o t b e d o u b te d th a t m u c h rem a in s to b e discove red th e re . E x c e p tin g from th e ab o v e -m en tio
n e d tr a c ts , I do n o t ex p e c t m u c h n o v e lty am o n g s t flowering p la n ts , fo r th e foUowing re a so n s :—
1 , th e r e is a rem a rk a b le samen ess in th e flo ra th ro u g h o u t la rg e t r a c ts § ; 2, b ec au se o u t o f th e
7 3 0 flowering p la n ts k n ow n , th e r e a re sc a rc e ly o n e h u n d re d th a t h av e n o t b e e n g a th e re d b y several
in d iv id u a ls ; 3, b e c au se th e co lle c tio n s I liave la te ly re ce iv ed , th o u g h som e o f th em a re extensive,
an d from scarce ly v isited lo c alities, y e t c o n ta in little o r n o n o v e lty . W i th C ry p to g am ia tlie case is
m d e ly d iffe ren t ; an d i t is difficn lt to e s tim a te th e v a s t n um b e r, especially o f Mosses, Ilc p a ticæ , an d
* Annales des Sciences Naturelles, August, 1844.
j- In this enumeration upwards of 500 species of flowering plants arc named, but fully one hundred of these
are synonyms, introduced species, or erroneous ones of Cunningham and others.
X In the above list I have not thought it necessary to allude to the collections made at the Bay of Islands by
Dr. Lyall and myself in the Antarctic Expedition : they contained no novelty amongst flowering plants, not known to
Mr. Colenso and Dr, Sinclair, with whom I spent many happy days. Amongst Cryptogamie plants I collected much
tliat was then new, but most of the species have since been found elsewhere.
§ In this respect New Zealand contrasts remarkably with Tasmania.