Smith. — Plants naturalised in the County of Ashhurton. 211 



1880 to 1895, when the ruHng prices for cereals and sheep were 

 low, farmers remained somewhat inert, permitting their farms 

 to be overrun with objectionable plants. During these years 

 I observed the ox-eye daisy (C leucanthetmmi) , C. segetnm, 

 Antkemis arvensis, Achillea millifolmm, Convolvulus arvenais, 

 Carduus arvensis, Onopordimn acanthium, Crepis virens, 

 Bumex acetosella, and Taraxacum dens-leonis taking absolute 

 possession of large and valuable paddocks that had been only 

 once or twice ploughed. Needless to say, the cost of clearing 

 the paddocks of these exotic plants within recent years has 

 been prodigious. In wet seasons the daisy [Bellis perenms) 

 blooms freely on the moist river-flats, but it fails to disperse 

 and grow on drier land. Senecio jacobcea, which has taken pos- 

 session of many square miles in Southland, occurs in isolated 

 small patciies near the hills, but it is rare on the open plains. 



The introduced species of Conuolvuhis and the other allied 

 plants listed are widely dispersed, and have proved destructive 

 to cereal and clover crops. In 1893-94 the clover dodder 

 {Cuscuta europcBo) destroyed great quantities of red-clover 

 (Trifolium pratense) , but it has not been so destructive since 

 those years. The great bind-weed (Calystegia sepiwn) has 

 proved a great nuisance in some districts on good land, where 

 it roots deeply and is difficult to eradicate. The common 

 Convolvulus arvensis is the most widely dispersed species, and 

 grows freely on almost any soil. 



In the BoraginecB, Echium vulgare and Lithospermum 

 arvense are the more widely distributed. The former, though 

 producing tall well - developed spikes of ultramarine -blue 

 flowers, is an objectionable plant to agriculturists. Never- 

 theless, a large group of these plants in full bloom is attractive 

 and beautiful. The small-flowered Myosotis arvensis is abund- 

 ant in many parts of the county, and grows freely in waste 

 places, but more so on the moist margins of water-races or 

 near swampy ground, where it produces neat spikes of its 

 familiar flowers. M. sylvatica occurs in shady parts of the 

 half-cleared bush at Mount Somers, but it is not yet 

 abundant. 



The Scrophulariacea comprise some old garden favourites 

 which were early comers. Their occurrence on the ranges 

 and in the inland valleys in the early years of settlement prove 

 conclusively that they were not garden escapes. The hoary 

 mullein {Verhascum thapsus) ascends to 5,000 ft. on the lower 

 alps, and grows vigorously in large masses on the shingle 

 slopes and sides of the valleys, producing a striking contrast 

 to the stunted shrubby subalpine plants. The seed has un- 

 doubtedly been carried up the ranges in the wool of merino 

 sheep. These animals, feeding among the plants in the 

 autumn, when the seed is ripe, would shake it from the tall 



