M ill
One of the largest genera of plants, bnt in a great measure confined to the Tropical regions, especially of South
America. The wild Potato is, however, extratropical. being a native of the humid coasts of Cliili, where the production
of tubers does not appear to be a constant character, but one depending on local causes, aud increased very mucb
in degree by cultivation. There are a great many (about thirty) species in Austraha, but only one in Tasmania, the
. lacmmtmi of New Zealaud, except the S. nigrum, now equaUy abundant there and here, be included. The latter
IS a plant that is now universally diffused in all temperate aud tropical latitudes, aud is certainly indigenous to
many and transported into others. I t swarms about tbe Bay of Islands, Auckland, and aU the settlements, and I
find I t 111 Banks and Solander’s coUections.-The New Zealand SoUna may be readily recognized by their herbaceous
habit, the stems woody at the bare only, alternate exstipulate leaves, cymose nodding flowers, often rising from the
stem above the leaf (to whose axil they are referable, tbe peduncle being connate with the stem). Calyx and corolla
five-lobed. the latter plaited, rotate, or beU-shaped. Stamens five, with short filaments and long anthers, conniving
and forming a cone. Fm it a two-ceUed, many-seeded berry. (Name of doubtful origin.)
1. Solanum aviculare, E o r s t.; herbaceum, basi fruticosum, glabrum, foliis lineari-lanceolatis integris v,
pinnatifidis^ laciniis elongatis, racemis axiUaribus ramisve lateraUbus corymbosis simplicibus v. divisis,
calyce breviter v. ad medium 6-fido, coroHie lobis emarginatis obtusisve, baccis ovoideis. Worst. Prodr. A
R ich . Flor. Solanum laciniatum, if-orA AT««!. B r . Prodr. B o t. Mag. t. S.la n co am, B a n k s e t Sol.
M S S . et Ic .
I L o . Thro u g h o u t th e Islan d s. Common in woods. Ba n k s a n d Solander, eto. Wat. name, “ Poro-
poro " m th e n o rth e rn , and “ Kohoho ” in th e so u th ern p arts of the Islands, Col. (Cultivated in En g lan d .)
-A herb with shrubby stems, 2-5 feet high, and green leaves 4 inches to a foot or so long, petiolate. linear-
lanceolate. or ovate and pmuatifid. Cymes axillary or on the branches, eight- to ten-flowered, mowers verv variable
m size, ) - l inch across the corolla, which is purplish. Berry egg-shaped, yellow, eaten with avidity by birds and
the u a tiv es.-Co o k ’s sailors ate it on the faith of the birds not being poisoned, a very dangerous experiment, as
animals eat many fruits and leaves tbat are poison to man.
2. Solanum nigrum, L . ; herbaceum caule basi frutescente, erectum v. prostratum, foliis subovatis
smuato-angulatis acutis membranaceis, corymbis lateraUbus subumbellatis. l i n n . Sp. P I. B a n k s et
Sol. M S S ,
H a b . N o rth e rn and Middle Islan d s. A b u n d an t in various situations, especiaUy near houses and
cultivation. B a n k s a n d Solander, etc. (Native of Britain.)
One of tbe most common and universally distributed plants throughout the tropical and temperate latitudes of
the globe, varying exceedingly. Stems 1 -3 feet high, branching from a woody base, erect or procumbent Leaves
pe loled, ovate, aeute,^ sinuate-dentate. 1-3 inebes long. Mowers in lateral cymes, or subumbellate. white, with
yellow anthers, drooping. Berrixs size of a black currant, black or red.
Ob s . The seeds of SoUnea, are remarkably tenacious of their vitality, and hence various species of the Order
are soon naturahzed; amongst those in New Zealand are the common cnltivated Potato, f t tuberosum (“ Tihon”
and ’■ Kumera ). the Cape Gooseberry, or “ Tipare ” of India. PI,ysalis pubescens, Tobacco, Nicotiana Tabaoum, and
uapsicums (Lycopersicon), all natives of the Americas.
!
N a t . O r d . LVIIL CONVOLVULACEÆ, Juss.
Gen. I . CALYST EGIA, B r .
Calyx 5 -partitus, bracteis 2 foliaceis inclusus. Corolla campanulata, 5-loba, plicata
æqualia. Umbo breviora. Ovarmm semi-biloculare, 4-spermum. S ty lu s in d iv isu s; stinmata
! 1-locularis.
sub-
2, obtusa.
A very beautiful geuus, too well known as Comolvvlus to require any detailed description. The species ot
Calystegia are few, but very widely diffused beyond the Tropics, and distinguished from Convolvulus by the leafy
bracts at tbe base of the calyx, and the two blunt stigmas. Their flowers are the most graceful and beautiful to
be found in New Zealand ; but the different kinds, if indeed they be different, are extremely difficult to define
by words.—Climbing or prostrate smooth herbs, with milky juice. Leaves alternate, exstipulate. Mowers sohtary,
axillary, peduncled. Calyx of five sepals, enclosed in two leafy bracts. Corolla beU-s'naped, plaited, five-lobed.
Stigmas two, blunt. (Name from kq\ v^, a calyx, and o-Tcyo?, a covering)
1. Calystegia Br. ; scandens, caule p uberulo v. glaberrimo, foliis ampiis oblongo-sagittatis
acuminatis basi alte cordato-bilobis, lobis ro tu n d a tis angulatis lobatis trunc atisve, bracteis acutis v. obtusis
calyce longioribus, pedunculis petiolo sæpissime duplo longioribus angulatis. B r . Prodr. A . R ich . Flora.
A . Cunn. Frodr. DC. Frodr. Convolvulus, L in n . En g l. B o t. t. 313.
H a b . T h ro u g h o u t th e Islan d s, ab u n d an t. B a n k s a n d Solander, etc. N a t. name, “ P an ah e and P o h u e ,”
Col. (A native of Britain.)
This beautiful plant, the English “ Bind-weed,” is as common in the Southern Hemisphere as it is m the
Northern, being found in Chili, Australia, Tasmania, and Java, varying in the colour of its flowers from white
to rose-purple. I t is to be distinguished from the following by its great size, long leaves (2 -4 inches), sometimes
acute, bnt generally acuminate, and deeply bilobed at tho base, the sinus often 1 inch deep, rounded at
tbe insertion of tbe petiole ; the lobes long and parallel, placed close together, their apices round angled, truncate,
or sinuato. Peduncles angled or margined, 3-5 inches long. Bracts very variable in shape, broadly ovate or oblong,
acute or witb long acuminate points, longer thau the calyx. Corolla 3 -4 inches broad, in small states l a inch,
but these are rare.—Of the above eharaeters there is not one that can be strictly relied upon, and I do not know
how this plant is to be distinguished in all its states, except by applying tbe above description in a general
sense. Generally there is no difficulty in recognizing this, from its climbing habit, large size, deeply twolobed
leaves, and large flowers ; but small, prostrate, short-leaved specimens are very puzzling. The large tuberous
root is eaten by the natives. I t is to be remarked that the root of C. sepium in Europe is considered
poisonous, whereas that of this New Zealand plant is eatable; but I cannot allow this character alone any
weight as of specific value. The properties of the same species vary eminently in various localities. This is
notoriously the case with many medicinal plants, which are of violent action in one climate and innocuous in
others.
2. Calystegia tuguriorum, B r. ; caule prostrato, foliis submembranaceis la te ovato-cordatis deltoideisve
acutis obtusisve integris sinuato-lobatis angulatisve sin u lato, pedunculis petiolo longioribus, bracteis
calyce æquilongis obtusis v. acutis acuminatisve, capsula ovata acuta, seminibus fulvis. B r . Prodr. p .
4 8 3 in obs. Convolvulus, tuguriorum, Forst. Prodr. C. versatilis et C. lentus. B a n k s et Sol. MS S . et Ic.
T a b . X L V II.
Var. fi. minor; foliis parvis 4 unc. longis ovato-cordatis acuminatissimis. Convolvulus lacteus. Bank s
et Sol. M S S . et le.
H a b . A b u n d an t th ro u g h o u t th e Islan d s, Ba n k s a n d Solander, etc. (Cultivated in England.)
More generally a prostrate plant than C. sepium, smaller in all its parts. Leaves broadly ovate-cordate or
deltoid-cordate, with a shallow sinus, memliranous, blunt, sharp or rounded at the point, entire, angled, or
sinuate and almost lobed. Peduncles longer than tbe petioles. Bracts as variable in shape as in C. sepium, but
usually shorter. Corolla white or rose-coloured. Capsule ovate, sharp-pointed, 4 inch long, with yellow seeds_
size of a tare in tbe few fruiting specimens I have examined.—P l a t e XLVII. Fig. 1, stamen; 2. ovarium:—
both magnified.
3. Calystegia Soldanella, Br. ; caule repente prostrato, foliis crassiusculis reniformibus sin u basi lato
i r