476 DICOTYLEDONS AND CONIFERS 



Salix alba, Linn. White Willow 



Cheeseman reports in 1882 that this species is naturalised on the 

 banks of the Northern Wairoa and the Waikato. Writing in 1912 he 

 suggests that the willows (of various species) which now form a 

 continuous fringe along the banks of the Waikato, doubtless originated 

 from seeds, etc., floated from Taupiri, where they were planted by 

 missionaries prior to 1850. 



In Europe the catkins are visited by Bombus lapidarius, B. lucorum 

 and B. terrestris. 



CUPULIFER/E 

 Quercus Robur, Linn. Oak 



Apparently the first oak trees planted in New Zealand were those 

 at Hokianga and the Bay of Islands, introduced nearly a century ago. 



The first planted in Auckland grew from acorns sent from 

 Sydney; Mr Cleghorn, Superintendent of Public Works, sowed them 

 in 1841 or 1842 in the Government Gardens. The young trees were 

 planted at Government House in 1844 or 1845. Those in the Domain 

 were planted by Mr Chalmers in 1863. 



They come up freely in plantations (Whangarei, Katikati, etc.) 

 and are spreading over fairly wide areas. Both varieties, sessiliflora 

 and pedunculata, are common. 



The larva of the native longicorn beetle (Prionoplus reticularis) 

 attacks oaks in northern districts of New Zealand. W. W. Smith says 

 it is more severe on Q. pedunculata than on Q. sessiliflora. 



BETULACE^) 



Alnus glutinosa, Linn. Alder 

 Cheeseman in 1912 reports that: 



old trees of the alder have spontaneously appeared in not a few stations 

 along the banks of the lower Waikato, from Huntly to within a few miles 

 of the mouth of the river. Probably they have originated from seeds 

 floated from Taupiri, where I understand it was planted bv the mis- 

 sionaries prior to 1850. 



CONIFERS 



Pinus Pinaster, Sol. (P. maritima, Lamarck) 

 This species spreads very freely and to a great distance. Maxwell 

 thinks "the seeds are carried by imported birds, which are very 

 fond of most of the pine seeds." It is said to be growing wild at 

 Hokianga, in many parts of the Auckland Province, and in Taranaki. 

 An interesting occurrence of it is on the Balmoral estate in stony 

 sour clay land, lying between the Balmoral Hills and the Hurunui 



