84 Transactions, 
Arr. IX.—WNotes on Plants observed during a Visit to the North of Auck- 
land. April, 1868. By T. Kırk. 
[Read before the Auckland Institute, 4th May, 1868.] 
Tue beaches and landing-places at the Kawau show traces of the traffic 
formerly connected with its copper mines in the many introduced plants 
which have become naturalized — Chenopodium, Polycarpon, Coronopus, 
Erysimum, Amaranthus, Portulaca, and many other genera which follow the 
footsteps of man, are most abundant. The fine evergreen beech Fagus 
Jusca finds here its northern limit; Sapota costata attains larger dimensions 
than usual, one fine specimen having a trunk nearly 5 feet in diameter, its 
branches reaching the height of 60 feet. A Pittosporum (P. intermedium, |. 
Kirk) having the much branched, twiggy habit of P. tenuifolium, with leaves 
which scarcely differ, except in their larger size and stouter petioles, has 
much larger capsules on longer peduncles, which are terminal, and usually 
solitary ; capsules 2- to 3-valved, globose, acuminate. As with other Pittos- 
poræ to be mentioned in this paper, flowering specimens will be required 
before its position and specific value can be satisfactorily determined. A 
small umbelliferous plant, Apium leptophyllum, F. Muell., (Helosciadium 
leptophyllum, DC.), is found on and near a forest track in the interior, and 
might be considered indigenous were it not for its occurrence with 
naturalized plants at the Bay of Islands, which suggests the propriety of 
further examination before adding it to the list of native plants. It was not, 
however, observed on the Kawau beaches, where naturalized plants are so 
common, and where it would have been most likely to occur had it been 
introduced. It is easily identified by the narrow, almost capillary, segments 
of its small leaves, and numerous small, axillary, and terminal umbels of 
minute white flowers and small fruit. A native of Eastern Australia and 
South America, easily overlooked from its small size and inconspicuous habit. 
A Pittosporum (P. ellipticum, Kirk) differing from any described species 
was found on Mount Manaia. A small erect tree, 25 feet high, with black 
bark, branchlets very short, stout, puberulous, ascending, leaves close set, 
ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, coriaceous, with the midrib curiously 
flattened beneath, acute or obtuse, partially clothed with ferruginous 
pubesence beneath, petioles 4 inch long, stout, erect; flowers not seen; 
peduncles terminal, usually solitary, stout, 4 to 2 inch long, decurved. 
Capsules 2-valved, ovate, acuminate at both ends, with slightly flattened 
_ sides, valves faintly 2-lobed, granulated, tips erect. Allied to P. erassifolium, 
but differing in habit and foliage, in the 2-valved acuminate capsule, and the 
maller s An undescribed Coprosma is found here, and is probably 
tree found by Mr. Colenso at Waipu; observed also in the 
