Art. IX.—Notes on Plants observed during a Visit to the North of Auckland. April, 1868. By T. Kirk.
[Read before the Auckland Institute, 4th May, 1868.]
The beaches and landing-places at the Kawau show traces of the traffic formerly connected with its copper mines in the many introduced plants which have become naturalized — Chenopodium, Polycarpon, Coronopus, Erysimum, Amaranthus, Portulaca, and many other genera which follow the footsteps of man, are most abundant. The fine evergreen beech Fagus fusca finds here its northern limit; Sapota costata attains larger dimensions than usual, one fine specimen having a trunk nearly 5 feet in diameter, its branches reaching the height of 60 feet. A Pittosporum (P. intermedium, Kirk) having the much branched, twiggy habit of P. tenuifolium, with leaves which scarcely differ, except in their larger size and stouter petioles, has much larger capsules on longer peduncles, which are terminal, and usually solitary; capsules 2- to 3-valved, globose, acuminate. As with other Pittosporae to be mentioned in this paper, flowering specimens will be required before its position and specific value can be satisfactorily determined. A small umbelliferous plant, Apium leptophyllum, F. Muell., (Helosciadium leptophyllum, DC.), is found on and near a forest track in the interior, and might be considered indigenous were it not for its occurrence with naturalized plants at the Bay of Islands, which suggests the propriety of further examination before adding it to the list of native plants. It was not, however, observed on the Kawau beaches, where naturalized plants are so common, and where it would have been most likely to occur had it been introduced. It is easily identified by the narrow, almost capillary, segments of its small leaves, and numerous small, axillary, and terminal umbels of minute white flowers and small fruit. A native of Eastern Australia and South America, easily overlooked from its small size and inconspicuous habit.
A Pittosporum (P. ellipticum, Kirk) differing from any described species was found on Mount Manaia. A small erect tree, 25 feet high, with black bark, branchlets very short, stout, puberulous, ascending, leaves close set, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, coriaceous, with the midrib curiously flattened beneath, acute or obtuse, partially clothed with ferruginous pubesence beneath, petioles 1⁄3 inch long, stout, erect; flowers not seen; peduncles terminal, usually solitary, stout, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch long, decurved. Capsules 2-valved, ovate, acuminate at both ends, with slightly flattened sides, valves faintly 2-lobed, granulated, tips erect. Allied to P. crassifolium, but differing in habit and foliage, in the 2-valved acuminate capsule, and the smaller seeds. An undescribed Coprosma is found here, and is probably identical with a tree found by Mr. Colenso at Waipu; observed also in the
