208 Transactions. — Botany. 



cade the chief undergrowth of the belt of trees extending 

 along the railway-line for a considerable distance between 

 Ashburton and Chertsey. Small areas of the white broom 

 exist at present on the banks of the Ashburton Eiver sea- 

 w^ards of the town. The South African Hibiscus trionum I 

 have thrice found in different localities, but it is nowhere 

 numerous. 



The Asiatic representatives include Bidens pilosa, Nicandra 

 2)hysaloides, and Triticum sativum. The two former were 

 first discovered by Mr. Herring on the Afford Estate. The 

 latter occurs in several localities. 



The South American natives, Oxalis rosea, Sisyrinchium 

 striatum, and Solanum tuberosum, occur on the river-bed as 

 garden escapes. 



The North American species, Barbarea prcecox, Limnantlms 

 douglasii, Lupimis arbor eus, Gallomia coccinea, Mivmthis luteus, 

 M. moschcetus, ^nothera stricta, M. biennis, Ribes sangtcviea, 

 and Pijius insignis, are widely distributed over the county. 

 Mimuhcs luteus grows luxuriantly in many creeks and swamps, 

 while M. moschatus, the favourite musk, flourishes in large 

 masses on the moist sandy and swampy flats. The two 

 species of ^Enothera are abundant on the Eakaia Eiver flats, 

 and annually produce a great display of their lemon-coloured 

 flowers, which may be seen in pa^ssing over the river in the 

 railway-train during the summer months. The seeds falling 

 from the ripe cones of Pinus insignis grow freely, and they 

 have grown into dense masses in some of the older planta- 

 tions. The seed of Btbes sanguinea is carried by birds, and 

 germinates from their excreta under trees where the birds 

 roost. With the exception of Pinus insignis, the other species 

 in this list are probably descendants from garden escapes 

 many years ago. 



The list of British and European species naturalised in 

 the county include all the more valuable pasture-plants, com- 

 prising many grasses and clovers now forming the chief 

 pastoral vegetation of the plains and up to several thousand 

 feet on the subalpine ranges. In addition to many objec- 

 tionable and injurious plants, they grow freely among the 

 tussocks and snow-grasses (Danthonia) on the upland country. 

 This class of mixed vegetation has added greatly to the value 

 of pastoral runs during the last fifteen years, by enabling the 

 owners to depasture larger flocks on them. Twenty years 

 ago the common spear thistle {Carduus lanceolatus) invaded 

 tlie hilly region of tlie county and caused great annoyance 

 and loss to fiock-owners, but it gradually decreased and be- 

 came much less aggressive. 



Unquestionably many species of naturalised plants occur- 

 ring plentifully all over the county were early introductions. 



