Platk 128. AliCHKIMA RACh:M()SA. 



Family KI'ACIUDACE/E.t [Genus ARCHERIA. Hook. f. 



Archeria racemosa, llnnl.-. /. //„,/,//,. .\ .'/.. Fl. ISO; Chwsn,,. Ma,,. K.Z. Fl. 117. 



The Great and Little Barrier iKlands, with the Cape Colville (or Thames) 

 Peninsula, contain several plants which are either confined to the two districts or 

 occur 111 small quantity outside them. The chief of these are Pseudnpanax discolor 

 (see Plate 74 of this work). Olearia Allomii, Celmisia Admnsii, Senecio myrianthos 

 Veromcn puhescens, and the subject of this plate. From a phyto-geographical point 

 of view the Thames Peninsula is also remarkable from being the northern limit of 

 certain well-known subalpine plants. A full list of these is given in Mr Adams's 

 mteresting paper " On the Botany of Te Moehau Mountain," the highest elevation 

 in the district (Trans. N.Z. Inst, xxi (1889), .32), but the following may be par- 

 ticularized here : Celrmsia incana, Pentachondm pumila, Cyathodes empetrifolia 

 Ounsia macrophylla, Podocarpm nivalis, Dacrydium BidwilUi, Phyllodadus alpinus 

 Carpha alpma, and Oreoholus pumilio. With the exception of the Cyathodes and 

 PhyUocJadus, the first of which occurs on Castle Rock, Coromandel, and the other 

 on the summit of Te Aroha Mountain, not one of these plants is found nearer 

 than the summit of Hikurangi, in the East Cape district, or on the central volcanic 

 plateau of the North Island. 



Archeria racemosa was collected on the Great Barrier Island prior to 1850 by 

 Captain D. Rough, the first Harbourmaster for the Port of Auckland. Imperfect 

 specimens given by him to Dr. Sinclair were forwarded to Sir J. D. Hooker, and 

 were described as a doubtful Epacris in the " Flora Novae Zelandite " ; but in the 

 "Handbook" it was placed in the Tasmanian genus Archeria. In the year 1867 

 Mr. T. Kirk visited the Great Barrier, when A. racemosa was again gathered. 

 Mr. Kirk remarks, however, that it is a local plant, " only found between 800 ft. and 

 2,000 ft. alt." In 1869 Mr. Kirk also observed it at the Thames goldfields, stating 

 that " it is local, but abundant from 1,900 ft. to 2,800 ft." In 1881 I observed it in 

 immense abundance on Whakairi, or Table Mountain, near the source of the 

 Kauaeranga River, and on several of the higher mountains in the vicinity. Mr. J. 

 Adams, who in the years 1882 to 1905 zealously explored the whole length of the' 

 Thames Peninsula, ascertained that it is of common occurrence on the central 

 watershed, but is rarely found on the flanking ranges to the east and west. In 1895 

 Mr. Shakespear and myself noted it in great quantities on the summit of the 

 Little Barrier Island, alt. 1,500 ft. to 2,400 ft. A few years later Bishop Williams 

 unexpectedly discovered it at Te Araroa. near the East Cape, and Mr. Gerald 

 Williams has since found it to be fairly plentiful near the base of Hikurangi 

 Mountain. These two localities mark the southern limit of the plant. 



Archeria racemosa forms a branching shrub 6 ft. to 15 ft. high, with much of the 

 habit and appearance of a broad-leaved Leucopogon. When in flower it presents 

 an attractive appearance, in the first place from its broad coloured bracts, which 

 completely conceal the flowers until they commence to expand, when they 

 suddenly drop off ; and then from the abundance of the flowers themselves, which 

 are bright pink in colour. At the present time it is not in cultivation. 



Plate 128. Archeria raceiiinsa. diawii from specimens cDllected (in the summit of the Little 

 Barrier Island ; altitude 2,000 ft. Fiji. 1, uuder-surface of leaf (x 2) : 2. Ijract. two bracteoles, and a 

 younu flower-bud (x .3) ; 3, flower (x6); 4, corolla laid open, showiiit; the ovary (x6); 6, longi- 

 tudinal section of ovary (x 8) ; 6, transverse section of same (x 8). ' > ' o 



