Colenso. — On Clianthus puniceus. 298 



a fresh specimen of the plant " raised in England from seed 

 gathered by the missionaries in New Zealand, where it is said 

 to be called ' Kowhaingutu-kaka,' or Parrot's-bill, and to grow 

 to the size of a large tree" (sic) — "in England, however, it has 

 not reached beyond 4 feet hi height." The coloured drawing 

 of the plant is a bold, clear, and good one, and shows the 

 flowers much as Don had described them, with their "wings 

 lanceolate aud acuminate." At that time Dr. Lindley restored 

 to the plant its original name of Clianthus puniceus, which it has 

 properly retained ever since. 



During my early visits to the East Coast, but always late in 

 the summer, (1838-1843,) landing at Wharekahika (Hicks' 

 Bay), and travelling on foot to Poverty Bay, in and out among 

 the Maori villages, 1 noticed a few scattered plants of Clianthus, 

 though much as I had formerly seen them in the North. 



In 1844 I came to Hawke's Bay (second time) to permanently 

 reside, and it was not very long before I obtained plants of 

 Clianthus (from seed or cuttings) from the Maoris for my garden. 

 In due time, when these grew and flowered, I noticed a marked 

 difference between their flowers and those of the northern plant, 

 with which I was so well acquainted. At first I did not pay 

 great attention to it, having vastly too much of other and more 

 important matters to attend to, but in course of time, and as my 

 plants grew so tall aud to such a large size, I examined them a 

 little more closely, and then I discovered what I believed to be 

 a true specific difference, or, at all events, showing a marked 

 variety, if the newly-detected characters should prove constant. 

 Somewhere in the decade of 1840, 1 sent specimens of this southern 

 form of Clianthus (with other plants) to Kew, to Sir W. J. 

 Hooker, calling his attention to the differences I had noticed ; 

 in the course of (say) the following year, Sir W. J. Hooker, 

 in reply, said that they at Home who had examined the dried 

 specimens sent could not detect any material difference. 



After that time the matter slept, as far as I was concerned. 

 Of late years, however, having the southern form (as I call it) 

 always here in my own garden, and seeing it generally plenti- 

 fully cultivated in gardens in this town, and in the adjacent 

 country villages and other places, I have been led again to 

 closely examine the plant, and I have found that those differences 

 I had formerly detected still continued. I, therefore, obtained 

 both seeds and plants of the northern form from Auckland, and 

 this year the plants have flowered in my garden ; and now, having 

 the opportunity of comparing closety the two forms in a living 

 state, I give briefly the result of my old and new examinations, 

 which will serve sufficiently to point them out. 



1. Clianthus puniceus, Sol. (vera : N. form). 



Flower 3 inches long, 1£ inch broad ; standard ovate, very 



