11 ÎLOKA OE NEW ZEjVLAND.
ad o p t w id ely d iffe ren t co n c lu sio n s as to th e ir lim its a n d o rig in , from o n e w h o reg a i’d s th em as d is tin c t
c re a tio n s ; a n d h e who d en ies t h a t a p la n t w h ich g rows sp o n tan e o u sly in E n g la n d a n d N ew Z e a lan d
can h av e o rig in a te d from o n e com m o n p a re n t, will re a so n d iffe re n tly o n th e su b je c t o f m ig ra tio n an d
d isp e rsio n from h \m who h o ld s a n o p p o s ite view. N ow th e a c tu a l am o u n t o f k n ow led g e we possess
o n su ch su b je c ts is so v e ry lim ite d , th a t few ex p e rien c ed n a tu i’a lis ts a re in c lin e d to p ro n o u n c e p o s itiv
e ly u p o n th em , w h ils t th e m a jo rity offer n o o p in io n a t all. I am v e ry sen sib le o f m y own in a b ility
to g rap p le w ith th e s e g r e a t q u e stio n s, o f th e ex trem e c a u tio n a n d ju d gm e n t re q u ire d in th e ir t r e a t m
e n t, a n d o f th e ex p e rien ce n e c e ssa ry to e n a b le a n o b se rv e r to e s tim a te th e im p o rta n c e o f ch a ra c te rs
w hose v a lu e v a rie s u d th ev e ry o rg a n a n d in ev e ry o rd e r o f p la n ts . I th in k , h owever, th a t th e r e is
a m e an to h e k e p t b e tw e en th e d o gm a tism w ith w h ich a la i’ge class o f n a tu ra lis ts (g en e ra lly o f v e ry
lim ite d expe rience ) dec ide u p o n species, an d th e v ag u en e ss w h ich c h a ra c te riz e s th e w ritin g s o f o th e rs
in a ll th a t re fe rs to th em ; th is , a n d th e fa c t th a t m o s t p e rso n s commence b o ta n y w ith o u t an y defin
ite id e a o f w h a t m e a n in g n a tu ra lis ts a tta c h to th e te rm , o r o f it s im p o rtan c e , h av e also in d u c ed me
to ad d ress some c a u tio n s to th e s tu d e n t, su g g e s ted b y th o s e th e o re tic a l p rin c ip le s w h ich th e s tu d y o f
th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo r a m a y h e lp to develope. T h is I p ro p o se to do u n d e r th r e e h e a d s o r ch ap te rs,
w h ich u d ll be d ev o ted— 1. To th e liis to ry o f N ew Z e a lan d B o ta n y , sh owing th e la b o u rs o f m y p r e decessors,
th e n a tu r e a n d am o u n t o f th e m a te ria ls th a t h av e b e e n av a ü ah le to myself, a n d th e p ro b
ab le lim its o f th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo ra .— 3. T o th e views I h av e a d o p ted in th e d esc rip tiv e p ai’t as to
th e affinities, lim its, o rigm , v a ria tio n , d is trib u tio n , a n d d isp e rsio n o f p la n ts g en e ra lly .— 3. T o th e
illu s tra tio n a n d d ev e lo pm en t o f th e se views b y a n an a ly sis o f th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo ra , a n d its re la tio n
to th o s e o f o th e r co u n trie s .
C H A P T E R I.
SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE BOTANY OF NEW ZEALAND.
F or th e e a rlie s t a c co u n t o f th e p la n ts o f th e se Is la n d s we a re in d e b te d to two o f th e m o s t illu s trio
u s b o ta n is ts o f th e ir age, a n d to th e voyages o f th e g re a te s t o f m o d e rn n a v ig a to r s ; fo r th e first,
a n d to th is d ay th e fin e st a n d b e s t illu s tra te d h e rb a rium th a t h a s ever b e e n m ad e in th e is lan d s b y
in d iv id u a l ex e rtio n s is th a t o f S ir J o se p h B a n k s a n d D r . So lan d e r, d u rin g C ap ta in Cook’s firs t voyage
in 17'69. U pw a rd s o f 3 6 0 species o f p la n ts were co llected d u rin g th e five m o n th s th a t were devoted
to th e ex p lo ra tio n o f th e se co a sts, a t v a rio u s p o in ts b e twe en th e B ay o f I s la n d s a n d O tag o , ia c h u lin g
th e sh o re s o f Cook’s S t r a i t s ; a n d th e re su lts a re adm irab le, w h e th e r we co n sid e r th e exc ellence o f th e
specimens, th e ju d gm e n t w ith w h ich th e y were sele cted , th e a r tis tic d raw in g s b y w liich th e y a re illu
s tra te d , an d above a ll th e a c cu ra te M S . d e sc rip tio n s a n d o b se rv a tio n s th a t a c comp an y th em . T h a t
th e la tte r , w h ich in c lu d e a com p lete F lo r a o f N ew Z e a lan d as fa r as th e n k n ow n , sy stem a tic a lly a r ran
g e d , illu s tra te d b y two h u n d re d co p p e r-p la te en g rav in g s, a n d a ll re a d y fo r th e p ress, sh o u ld h av e
been w ith h e ld from p u b lic a tio n b y its illu s trio u s a u th o rs , is (conside ring tlie c ircum s tan c e s u n d e r
w h ich i t was p rep a re d ) a n a tio n a l loss, a n d to s cien ce a g riev o u s one, s in ce , h a d i t h e e n o th e rw ise ,
th e b o ta n v o f N ew Z e a la n d w o u ld h a v e b e e n b e t te r k n ow n fifty y e a rs ag o th a n i t n ow is .
C a p ta in C ook was, o n h is se co n d v o y ag e , a c com p am ed b y th r e e s c ien tific m e n , a ll m o re o r le ss co n v
e rs a n t w ith b o ta n y , n am e ly , th e tw o F o r s te r s (fa th e r a n d so n ), a n d D - S p - - - n , w h o jo in e d th e
ex p ed itio n a t th e C ap e o f Go o d H o p e . Q u e e n C h a rlo tte ’s S o u n d , in C o o k s S tr a its , a n d D u sk y
B ay w e re th e c h ie f p o in ts b o ta n iz e d . F rom th e fo rm e r, as i t h a d b e e n p re id o n sly ex p lo red b y B a n k s
an d S o lan d e r, li ttl e n o v e lty was to b e ex p e c ted , a n d from th e la tte r , w h ich h a s la te ly p ro v ed so n o i
in in te re s tin g p la n ts , li ttl e , c om p a ra tiv e ly sp e ak in g , was b ro u g h t. A b o u t 1 6 0 species o f fiow erm g
p la n ts a n d F e r n s w e re co lle c ted in all, a n d th e s e w e re (o ften in a c c u ra te ly n am ed ) d is trib u te d am o n g s t
m a n y p u b lic a n d p riv a te M u se um s . I h a v e e x am in ed a s e t in th e P a r is M u se um , a n o th e r m th e
B an k s ia n , an d a th i r d in m y f a th e r ’s f , a n d in th e s e coUeetions th e s am e p la n t h a s som e tim e s d iffe ren t
n am e s ; th is h a s g iv en r is e to m u c h co n fu sio n a n d sy n o n ym y , a n d false id e n tific a tio n o f th e ^p lan ts
p u b lish e d in th e ‘ N o v a G e n e ra P la n t a r um ’ a n d ‘ P ro d rom u s F lo ra l I n s n la rum A u s tra h um . T h e
la tte r w o rk co n ta in s d e s c rip tio n s o f 1 5 0 N ew Z e a la n d sp e c ie s ; th e s e a re su p p o sed to h av e h e e n e la b
o ra te d b y D r . S p a rrm a n n , a n d ev e n fo r th e p e rio d a re v e ry u n s a tis fa c to ry . F o r s t e r ’s ‘ C om m cn -
ta tio d e P la n tis e s cu len tis in s u la n im O o ean i A u s tra lis ’ c o n ta in s b e t te r d e s c rip tio n s , a n d m u c h cu rio u s
in fo rm a tio n o n th e few ed ib le p la n ts o f th e i s l a n d s j . M r. A n d e rso n , su rg e o n to Cook’s th i r d ex p ed itio
n , u n d e rto o k th e b o ta n ic a l d e p a rtm e n t o n th a t v o y a g e ; h u t th o u g h D u sk y B a y was v is ited a se co n d
tim e , n o th in g o f im p o rta n c e was ad d ed to its b o ta n y . I t rem a in e d fo r M r. M en z ie s , the^su rg eo n an d
n a tu r a lis t o f C a p ta in V a n co u v e r’s voyage, to discove r th e c ry p to g am io ric h e s o f N ew Z e a lan d , an d
especially th o s e o f D u sk y B ay . T h a t u a tm -a list d ev o ted h im seH to th e coUeotion o f Alosses an d
Hep a tic ie , a n d th is a t a tim e w h en th e s e o b je c ts w ere s c a rc e ly th o u g h t w o rth y o f a tte n tio n , a n d th e ir
struotm-e a n d fu n c tio n s li ttl e k n ow n o r u n d e rs to o d . M o s t o f h is coUections w e re p la c ed in S ir M il-
liam H o o k e r’s h an d s , a n d m a n y o f th em w e re b e a u tifu lly il lu s tr a t e d in th e ‘ AIusci E x o tio i.’
F o r Iipwai-ds o f tw e n ty y e a rs a fte r C ook’s v o y ag e N ew Z e a la n d rem a in e d u n v is ite d b y a n y n a tu ra
lis t, u n ti l C a p ta in D u p e rre y ’s ex p ed itio n in th e F r e n c h surv ejfin g co rv e tte th e CoquiUe, in 1833,
w h en h e was ac com p an ied b y a y o u n g officer o f g r e a t p rom ise , a n d a n a r d e n t coUector o f p la n ts , th e
la te A dm ira l D ’U n i l l e . T h is officer re v is ite d N ew Z e a lan d in 1 8 3 7 , in th e s am e sh ip (re -n am e d th e
* This herbarium and MS. form part of the Banksian collection, and are deposited in the Brfiish Museum. I
feel that I cannot over-estimate the benefit which I have derived from these materials, and it is much to be regretted
that they were not duly consulted by my predecessors. The names by which Dr. Solander designated the
species have been in most cases replaced by others, often applied with far less judgment, and his descnptions have
never been surpassed for fulness, terseness, and accuracy. The total number of drawings of New Zealand plants is
about 213, of which 176 are engTavcd on copper, but the engravings have never been published; these treasures
are accompamed with 24 additional copper-plates from Forster’s drawings, of plants which were not found during
Cook’s first voyage.
t This was presented by the late Mr. Shepherd, of Liverpool, and formed part of what I believe is a veiy
complete collection of Forster’s plants. I have to add with rcgi-ct that the trustees of the institution to which the
latter-belongs considered it inexpedient to accede to my request that it should be transmitted temporarily to Kew
for comparison and publication.
X Solannm amculare^ Coriaria mrnimtom, ConwlmihiH ckrporhistis (cult.), Bioscorea alata (cult.), Arum escu-
lentum (cult.), A . macrorliizon (cult.), CordyUne indivisa, Areca mpida, Apium gramolens, Tetragonia expansa, Lepi-
dium oleraceum, Sonohus oleraceus, Ftei'is esculenta, QgatJiea medullark, Gleichenia sp. {Polypodium dicliotomum),
Leptospermmn scoparium, Bacrydium cupressinum. I t is in this work that the Avicennia tommtosa is^ described as
A . resinifera, with the statement recorded by Crozet of its producing a gum which is eaten by the natives, which no
doubt originated in some mistake.
h 2