Cheese.man. — Notes on iJie Three Kings Islands. 413 



The puka must be regardecl as one of the most remarkable 

 of the New Zealand trees, and it is certainly one of the rai'est. 

 It was first discovered by the veteran botanist Mr. Coleuso, 

 who was shown by the Maoris a single tree growing at 

 Paparaumu, Whangaruru Harbour, which they informed him 

 had been brought from the Poor Knights Islands. It was 

 surrounded by a high fence, and was strictly iajyu, Mr. 

 Colenso not being permitted access to it, or allowed to remove 

 specimens. Major W. G. Mair was the next to visit the 

 locality, and he succeeded in obtaining specimens of the 

 foliage, some of which were given to Dr. Sinclair. Later on 

 Mr. Robert Mair obtained i-ipe fruit, which was also forwarded 

 to Dr. Sinclair. This material, imperfect as it was, was for- 

 warded to Kew, and formed the basis of the descriptions given 

 in Sir Joseph Hooker's "Flora Novai-Zelandite," and in the 

 later jxiblished " Handbook." After the lapse of a few years 

 the solitary tree at Whangaruru was cut down by the natives ; 

 but about the same time a IMr. George Henson discovered it 

 growing wild on the Morotiri or Chickens Islands. In 1869 ' 

 Professor Hutton and Mr. Kirk made a special visit to that 

 locality, with the result of finding some eight or nine plants. 

 A few years later I visited the islands, and saw thirteen old 

 plants and a few seedlings. Mr. Reischek, who landed several 

 times on the Chickens while pursuing his ornithological re- 

 searches, also saw the tree, and has informed me that about 

 twenty or thirty are all that exist on the group. He observed, 

 however, a solitary specimen on the north side of the Plen 

 Island. Until its discovery on the Three Kmgs Island these 

 localities remained the only ones known to Europeans. Its 

 existence on the Poor Knights is highly doubtful, and rests 

 eutiitiiy on Maori authority. I have been informed that 

 several of the specimens growing on the Chickens have been 

 recently destroyed by fires lighted by fishermen or yachting 

 parties, and no doubt it will soon become extinct in that 

 locality. All lovers of New Zealand plants must therefore 

 rejoice that it has at last been found in abundance, and in a 

 locality where it is not likely to be soon blotted out of 

 existence. 



The puka was introduced into cultivation by the late Mr. 

 Justice Gillies and Mr. G. B. Owen about twenty years ago. 

 Since then it has found its way into several gardens in the 

 vicinity of xluckland, but has not by any means been planted 

 as much as it deserves. Few trees have bolder or handsomer 

 foliage, and it might be used with considerable effect in land- 

 scape gardening. It is easy of cultivation, perfectly hardy in 

 the North Island, will bear exposure to the strongest winds, 

 and in good soil makes very rapid growth. One planted in my 

 own garden eight years ago is now nearly 18ft. in height. 



