440 Transactions. 



in the pine plantation to the north of Victoria Lake. Amongst the legunii- 

 nous plants can be found several species of TrifoUum and Medicago. The 

 common crucifiers CapseUa and Sisymhrium, the composite Achillaea mille- 

 folium, and the ordinary composite weeds Senecio, Cnicus, Taraxacum, &c., 

 are abundant. Pknitago major, Polygonum Convolvulus, and Rumex spp. are 

 present, while in one portion the lupin is gaining ground. 



Most of these weeds belong to the class of plants that occur in any 

 waste land, or in permanent-])asture land that is left to itself for any length 

 of time. Their fruits or seeds are easily carried by wind or animals from 

 one place to another. In some cases they were probably introduced as 

 impurities of the grass-seed sown. 



More important for the purpose of this jiaper is the record of the 

 indigenous plants that have been collected in the Domain or Parks from 

 time to time. Such lists naturally exclude all indigenous plants that may 

 have been planted purposely, such as those that are found in the native 

 sections of the Domain. Only those that from their position now mav be 

 considered to have formed part of the original flora of the reserve will be 

 mentioned in these lists. A comparison of their contents will give some 

 idea of the ability of New Zealand plants to hold their own in the face of 

 the European intruders, and of tlieir prospective ultimate fate in the struggle 

 for existence. 



The published records are very sca)ity, but I am deeply indebted to 

 Mr. J. B. Armstrong for permission to use a list he made in 1864 of the 

 indigenous flora of Hagley Park and Domain, a list which has hitherto 

 been in manuscript only. This is given below (list A). 



The first reference to the plants is that given above* in the description 

 of the vegetation through which tJie pioneer party had to force a \\"ay. and 

 probably it is descriptive rather of the country lying farther to the west 

 of Hagley Park, though some of the plants would ])e common in the Park. 

 The ■' fern " would be the common Pteridium esculentum, or bracken, found 

 in all waste places on the Plains. The "' tutu," Coriaria sarmentosu, used 

 to be found in patches along the river. The " tussock," Poa caespitosa, is 

 still to be seen in certain parts of North Park. The " bramble," a term 

 applied usually to the various species of Rubus, has not been recorded 

 actually from the Park. The " Spaniard," Aciphylla squarrosa, has dis- 

 appeared only recently. 



This casual reference dealt only with the more prominent constituents 

 of the flora ; the smaller herbaceous plants, not causing any trouble to the 

 jiioneers, were not noticed at all. 



The next list in point of time is that supplied by Mr. J. B. Armstrong, 

 which gives the names of the plants present in both Park and Domain 

 in 1864. The Domain was at that time in the same uncultivated state as 

 the Park — in fact, it was in a more natural state than the South Park, 

 which had been cropped before that date, with the consequence that it 

 was rather poor in native plants. In some cases where the names given 

 by Mr. Armstrong dift'er from those in Cheeseman's Manual the latter are 

 given also in scjuare brackets, as are also some additions. The species 

 marked with an asterisk are given by Mr. Armstrong, and have therefore 

 been included in the list, though some authorities express a little doubt as 

 to the correctness of the identification. 



* Canterbury Old and Xeiv, p. 50. 



