Armstronc.—On the Flora of the Province of Canterbury. 833 
grass, T'risetum antarcticum, and the alpine holy-grass, Hierochloe alpina. 
Since the introduction of sheep and cattle these native grasses have con- 
siderably improved in productiveness, except where the senseless burning 
system has been carried to excess. 
Besides the species of grasses we have several other plants which might 
be advantageously grown. For instance, the aromatic aniseed, Angelica 
gingidium, of which sheep are so fond that they have exterminated it in 
many parts of the province. This plant seeds freely enough where pro- 
tected and would be easy to cultivate. Ligusticum haastii, another aromatic 
plant of the carrot tribe, is greedily eaten by horses and sheep and would 
be very easy of cultivation. L. aromaticum, L. piliferum, and L. brevistyle 
are similar in character. Many other sorts of plants are eaten by sheep, 
but I think the few here mentioned are all that are worthy of cultivation 
for pastoral purposes. It is to be hoped that the farmers of the province 
may be induced to cultivate these various forage plants, and to thoroughly 
test their value. 
Summary of Catalogue.—My stale contains the names of 750 species of 
flowering plants, belonging to 286 genera; and 107 species of ferns, belonging 
to 84 genera. The lower Cryptogams are so incomplete that I do not think 
it worth while to summarize them here. 
The largest orders are Composite with 110 species, Scrophularinee 63 
species. Cyperacee 55 species, Graminee 51 species, and Umbellifere 48 
species. The largest genera are Veronica, with 44 species; Celmisia, 28 
species; and Ranunculus, 22 species. 
The great proportion of genera to species is a peculiar feature, thus no 
less than 109 genera have only one species each, and many others have 
only two. Again while 12 natural orders have 464 species, the remaining 
286 species belong to no less than 65 orders, many of which have but one 
species each. Of the flowering plants—538 are confined to the colony, and 
212 are found in other countries, 176 are found in Australia or Tasmania, 
and 108 species are natives of America. There are also 48 species closely 
allied to Australian plants, and 27 to South American. About 50 species 
are natives of Europe, and about 35 of Asia. 
Of the 286 genera enumerated in the catalogue, no less than 25 are con- 
fined to New Zealand. The number of species confined to the Canterbury 
Province cannot be stated with any exactness until the flora of the adjoining 
provinces is properly worked up. It does not, however, exceed 20 species, 
and most probably not more than a dozen. The flora of New Zealand is 
usually considered by European botanical authors to be closely allied to 
that of Australia, and no doubt the two countries have a considerable 
number of plants in common. But the species common to Australia and 
