292 Transactions. — Botany. 



wild or naturally, save cm two or three of the smaller islets in 

 that Bay, — notably on a small islet named Taranaki, in the 

 mouth of the Kerikeri Eiver. I have also seen it occasionally 

 in deserted food plantations, and near the residences (occupied 

 or abandoned) of the old Maoris ; still it was a plant very well 

 known among them. 



The plant, however, was early seen in New Zealand by Cook 

 and his co-voyagers, on his first voyage, and no doubt on this 

 East Coast, and perhaps more than once at the different places 

 where he touched and went on shore on that voyage, the time 

 of the year being that of the flowering season of this plant — as 

 at Tolaga Bay, Mercury Bay, and the Bay of Islands. Specimens 

 of the plant were at that time taken Home by Sir Joseph Banks 

 and Dr. Solander, and the plant was named Clianthus puniceus 

 by Dr. Solander, who established its genus. Forster, who 

 accompanied Cook on his second voyage, (and who has done 

 so much towards making known the botany of this country,) 

 probably never saw it, although here in the proper season for 

 observing it, as his visits were confined to the South Island, 

 where, I have reasons for believing, the plant was not originally 

 found. The more modern botanists, also, as Lesson and Baoul, 

 whose researches and discoveries were mainly confined to the 

 South Island, make no mention in their works of having met 

 with it ; and the two Cunninghams, who were also early in New 

 Zealand at the North, and who spent some time there (especially 

 Richard Cunningham), also never saw it. 



However, it was first published by George Don, in 1832, 

 in his " General System of Botany," who changed its original 

 name of Clianthus (known also to him) to Donia punicea. His 

 description of the plant is a good one (a portion of its character 

 I extract): — " Veceillum ovate - lanceolate, acuminate, rather 

 shorter than the keel, reflexed ; Wings lanceolate, acuminate, 

 half the length of the keel," etc. " Native of New Zealand, 

 where it was first discovered by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. 

 Solander, who gave it the name of Clianthus puniceus.'" (loc. cit., 

 vol. ii., p. 468.) Of course, Don could only have known oi 

 those New Zealand specimens from which he drew up his 

 description ; he does not say why he changed the name of the 

 plant given to it by its discoverer, which, curiously enough, he 

 also gave his oun name to ! though he says it was " named in 

 honour of Mr. George Don, of Forfar," his own father. 



This was followed by Dr. Lindley, in 1834, in a more 

 elaborate account of this plant, in a paper "read December 2, 

 1834," before the Horticultural Society of London, and published 

 in 1835, in their " Transactions," 2nd series, vol. i., p. 519, 

 accompanied with a large and well executed coloured drawing 

 of it, from the pencil of the celebrated flower painter, Miss 

 Drake. This drawing, I may further observe, was taken from 



