479 



IRIDE^E 

 Iris germanica, Linn. Flag-lily 



First recorded in 1869 by Kirk as occurring in the Thames 

 Goldfield, and in Wellington in 1877. Cheeseman in 1882 reports 

 that "this species, originally a garden escape, has now firmly estab- 

 lished itself in most districts." It is abundant in many parts of the 

 North Island, but has scarcely spread in the south, where it never 

 ripens seeds. 



Visited in Europe by Bombus hortorum. 



Iris susiana, Linn. 



In 1877 Kirk recorded this species among introduced plants of 

 Wellington, as "not unfrequent on the sites of abandoned home- 

 steads, etc." It has probably died out. 



Iris pseud-acorus, Linn. Yellow Flag 



First recorded in 1877 by Kirk as occurring in the Hutt Valley 

 near Wellington. Kirk also recorded it later from near Nelson, and 

 S. Percy Smith from Mount Egmont Ranges. It occurs in many 

 localities in water holes, ponds and lagoons, but has in most places 

 been purposely introduced. 



It is visited in Europe by Apis mellifica and Bombus hortorum. 



Sisyrinchium chilense, Hook. 



Probably this was the species collected at Matamata and recorded 

 by Kirk in 1869 as S. anceps, Linn. It was reported again by him 

 in 1877 from the hills about Wellington. In 1906 Cheeseman records 

 it as occurring in "fields and waste places from Auckland to Otago, 

 but often local." Cockayne records it from the neighbourhood of 

 Queenstown in 1908. Not uncommon about Wellington in 1918. 



In November, 1918, I saw sparrows working among wild plants 

 of this species, near the Botanical Gardens, Wellington. They jumped 

 on the plants so as to bend the flowering stems, and appeared to be 

 sucking the nectar. I could not see or find anything else they could get. 



Sisyrinchium Bermudianum, Linn. Blue-eyed Grass 

 Buchanan recorded this from Kawau in 1876, and Cheeseman 

 from fields in Auckland Isthmus in 1882. As he does not refer to 

 it in the Manual, it may be that it is a synonym of the preceding 



species. 



Sisyrinchium striatum, Cavan. 



Recorded in 1903 by W. W. Smith as occurring in Ashburton 

 County. 



