214 Transactions. 



Art. XXII. — l^otice of the Occurrence of Leucopogon Richei, it. Br., on 



the Mainland of New Zealand. 



By T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., Curator of the Auckland Museum. 



[Head before the Aiicliand Institute, 22nd X'ovember, 1909.] 



Leucopogon Richei was origiually discovered by Lieutenant Riclie, one of 

 the officers of a French exploring expedition which, under the command 

 of D'Entrecasteaux, visited Australia in the year 1792. It was first 

 described by Labillardiere in the well-known " Novae Hollandise Plantarum 

 Specimen" (vol. i, p. 44, t. 60). It was quickly found to have a wide dis- 

 tribution on the eastern and southern shores of Australia, stretching from 

 the south of Queensland to Victoria, Tasmania, and South AustraUa, and 

 from thence westward to King George's Somrd and Swan River. So far as 

 I am aware, it is strictly confined to littoral situations, never extending 

 more than a few miles inland, and must be looked upon as one of the most 

 characteristic of the coastal plants of Australia. 



For its first discovery in the New Zealand area we are indebted to 

 Mr. H. H. Travers, who gathered it on the Chatham Islands diu'ing his 

 exploration of the group made towards the close of 1863. As is well known, 

 the botanical collections made on this occasion were intrusted to the late 

 Baron Mueller, and formed the foundation of his excellent little book en- 

 titled " The Vegetation of the Chatham Islands " (Melbourne, 1864). At 

 page 45 Mueller records the occurrence of the species, stating that it was 

 abundant on sandy ground near the sea on the main island, but was rare 

 on the adjoining Pitt Island. Since then the plant has been collected or 

 observed by all botanists visiting the group. I have specimens in my own 

 herbarium gathered by Mr. Travers in his s'econd expedition in 1871 ; by 

 Captain G. Mair ; by Mr. J. D. Enys, in 1887 ; by Miss Seddon, in 1895 ; 

 and by Mr. F. A. D. Cox, at various times subsequent to 1896. Judging 

 from Mr. Travers's statement in the " Transactions of the New Zealand 

 Institute " (vol. i, p. 176), Leucopogon Richei is most abundant on the tracts 

 of sandy soil which, as we know, are common on the Chatham Islands ; 

 but Dr. Cockayne, in his paper on " The Plant Covering of Chatham Island " 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxiv, 269), states that it occurs on hmestone cliffs 

 and on dry heathy ridges. In all probability it is well adapted for most 

 dry and open situations in coastal districts, and consequently has a wide 

 range of habitats. 



Up to the present time, Leucopogon Richei has had the distinction of 

 being the only Australian plant found in the Chatham Islands not also 

 known as an inhabitant of the mainland of New Zealand. And it must 

 be admitted that its occurrence on the Chathams, quite six hundred miles 

 to the eastward of New Zeala;id, and its apparent absence in the latter 

 country, situated between the Chathams and Australia, formed a some- 

 what puzzling problem in botanical geography. Personally, however, I 

 have always considered it probable that it existed on some portion of our 

 coast-line, and have made a practice of seeking for it on any botanical ex- 

 plorations of ray own — always, however, without success. Consequently, 

 I was very much interested and gratified to receive fiom Mr. Edward Clarke, 

 of the Geological Survey, a few small specimens, in full flower, collected 



