Cheeseman. — Leucopogon Ricliei, B. Br., on Mainland of ?>' .Z 215 



by him on the North Cape Peninsula. Mr. Clarke informs me that they 

 were gathered close to Kerr Point, which is the north-western termination 

 of the high table-like promontory which forms the North Cape proper. The 

 plant appeared to be fairly plentiful, and was associated with the handsome 

 Veronica speciosa, which gTows in considerable quantities on the declivities 

 leading from the top of the plateau to the edge of the cliffs. I may here 

 remark that some years previously I passed over the actual locality where 

 Mr. Clarke made his discovery, but without noticing the plant (see Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., xxix, 363). But in a flowerless state Leucopogon Richei might 

 easily be taken for a stiuited form of the much more common L. fasciculatus. 

 Mr. Clarke's visit was fortunately made during the flowering season, when 

 it would be impossible not to recognise the difference between the two 

 species. L. fasciculatus has minute g-reenish-white flowers arranged in 

 axillary or terminal drooping spikes. L. Richei has pure-white flowers, 

 larger than those of L. fasciculatus, and these are arranged in short and 

 dense many-flowered subterminal erect spikes. To say nothing of other 

 important difierences, this character of the inflorescence separates the two 

 species at a glance. 



The detection of Leucopogon Richei in the North Cape Peninsula recalls 

 the discovery recently made by Mr. R. H. Matthews of the Chatham Island 

 Lepyrodia Traversii in another part of the same district. For many years 

 this plant was believed not to exist in New Zealand proper. It was, how- 

 ever, ultimately found in the middle Waikato by myself, and subsequently 

 by Mr. R. H. Matthews in the peaty swamps between Lake Tongonge (near 

 Kaitaia) and the sea. Other instances of Chatham Island plants found 

 in isolated localities in the North Island are afforded by Hymenanthera 

 Traversii, detected by Sir James Hector in the Inland Patea district ; and 

 Pomaderris apetala, which, as a native plant, is confined to two localities 

 between Kawhia and Taranaki. The endemic Corohia macrocarpa and 

 Coprosma chathamica are more nearly allied to northern species than to any 

 other ; and the occurrence in the Chatham Islands of Rhopalostylis sapida 

 and Cyathea Cunninghamii are additional instances of northern affinity. 

 In fact, the flora of the Chaham Islands has far more connections with that 

 of the North Island than is commonly supposed, although its chief relation- 

 ships are undoubtedly with the South Island. It is, however, somewhat 

 remarkable that there is so little affinity with the flora of the islands to the 

 south of New Zealand, especially when it is considered that Aiitipodes 

 Island is almost as near to the Chathams as New Zealand. No doubt the 

 difference in climate and geological structure has been a powerful factor, 

 but it hardly seems sufficient to fully account for the facts of the case, which 

 are not without their application to the previous history of the flora of 

 both the Chathams and the Southern Islands. 



I hope to recur to the subject at greater length in a further communica- 

 tion. 



