438 _ Transactions. 



In the first edition of " New Zealand and its Inhabitants," by the Eev. 

 R. Taylor, published in 1855, there appears on page 430 a picture of a new- 

 plant, " fam. BalanophorecB,'" that is evidently intended to represent the 

 Dactylanfhus, but no word is mentioned in the botanical notes about the 

 plant. It may be that Mr. Taylor, at the time when the book was first 

 issued, had merely seen or been shown an imperfect specimen of the plant, 

 as in the second edition, which was issued in 1870, or fifteen years from the 

 time of the first issue. Sir Joseph Hooker's description of the Dactylanthus 

 is given, with several fine illustrations of the plant from specimens supplied 

 by Mr. Taylor. 



The claim set up by the Rev. Mr. Taylor as the discoverer of the Dacty- 

 lanthus has been recently called in question by the son of the late Mr. Francis 

 Williamson, of Wanganui, who writes as follows : " Dear Sir, — The Dacty- 

 lanthus Taylori was first discovered by the late Francis AVilliamson, of 

 Wanganui, who arrived in the colony in the early forties. It was found 

 at the root of a Pittosporum tree, at a place called Putotara, a property 

 owned by him. The plant was about the size of a large pine-apple ; but, 

 instead of having the top as a pine has, it had five flowerlike stalks, three 

 of which were in bloom, and very sweet-scented. The other two were just 

 buds. My father, being a botanist, knew this to be a new plant, and packed 

 it to send home to England ; however, as he heard the Rev. R. Taylor 

 was about leaving for the Old Country, he took the specimen to him, who 

 promised to do him the favour, and to give all particulars as to who fou.nd 

 it, &c., Mr. Taylor saying it appeared to be quite a new plant. The next 

 my father heard was that the new plant was named Dactylanthus Taylori. — 

 D. H. Williamson, Havelock N., 30/7/07." 



In Mr. Kirk's paper it is stated that the plant was discovered by the 

 Rev. Richard Taylor, about 1857, growing on the roots of Pittosporum, 

 Fagus, and other trees, at an estimated altitude of 4,000 ft. This may be 

 true as far as Mr. Taylor himself was concerned, as he probably had not 

 seen the plant growing before 1857, although there is a picture of the Dacty- 

 lanthus flower in his work published in 1855. 



" Pua reinga " is the name by which the plant is said to have been known 

 to the Natives ; but I have never heard it so called, nor do I understand why 

 it should be known as the leaping, or springing, or jimiping flower. When 

 found by me many years ago a Native was with me. The place was Mata- 

 rau, near to Hicks Bay, beyond the East Cape, and the Native without any 

 hesitation called the plant " wae-wae-atua." Since then I have found 

 the plant growing in many localities in the deep recesses of the bush, but 

 whenever seen by Natives the same name has been given, and a very old 

 Native of Taupo — Paul Rokino — gave me an old ivaiata referring to the flower. 

 The name " wae-wae-atua," or the fingers, the foot, or toes of the atua, 

 seems an appropriate one, for the appearance of a number of fru^iting speci- 

 mens, as shown in-Plate XXXI, fig. 1, as they appear above the surface of the 

 ground, generally on the slope of a bank in a deep gully, is curious and strange. 



Mr. Kirk, in his notes, gives localities where the plant was first discovered 

 by various collectors. The earliest-known specimens were taken from within 

 the basin of the Wanganui River; but Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the 

 Dominion Museum, was the first to find specimens along the east coast, 

 at Tarawera, and subsequently at Nuhaka. It has not been observed by 

 myself at the latter place, but in the vicinity of the East Cape and Hicks 

 Bay it is fairly common, the parasite being of very large size. At Matarau 

 many specimens collected were as large as a good-sized cabbage, and the 



