802 epee & ransactions.— Botany. 
arrived at, until we possess carefully compiled lists of the plants of all the 
chief portions of the colony, The volumes of the “ Transactions of the 
New Zealand Institute” bear witness that something has been done in this 
direction ; but much more will be required before a firm basis is afforded 
for future work. As a slight contribution to the literature of the subject, 
T propose to give a list of the plants observed by myself during two visits to 
the Nelson Provincial District, in 1878 and 1881, when I was enabled to 
travel over a considerable portion of the district, and to make large col- 
lections, especially of the alpine species. Of course, it will be fully under- 
stood that my list can have no claim to completeness. To collect the 
material for even a tolerably complete catalogue of the plants of the Nelson 
district (or any other of similar area) would involve the expenditure of 
much time and labour, and is a work that can only be efficiently performed 
by local observers, who possess the great advantage of being able to ex- 
amine the vegetation at all seasons of the year, and with more leisure and 
circumspection than can be given by a casual traveller, however industrious 
he may be. At the same time, the list will.be found to represent all the 
chief features of the vegetation, and is probably not much more incomplete 
than those that have been prepared of other Provincial Districts. 
At some future time I hope to consider in detail the principal features of 
plant-distribution in Nelson, and to suggest some possible explanation of 
certain curious anomalies therein. At present the known facts are ae 
sufficient to warrant the attempt, large portions of the district never having 
been explored in a botanical point of view, and others being very imperfectly 
known. : 
The total number of species included in the catalogue is 666, but this 
will doubtless be largely added to by future observers. I have included ® 
few species mentioned either in the « Handbook” or the “Transactions of 
the New Zealand Institute,” as occurring in the district, but which have 
not been observed by myself. With the exception of these, all of which are 
specified in the list, Iam personally responsible for the whole of the deter- 
minations and for the localities quoted :— 
CATALOGUE OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OBSERVED IN THE 
NELSON PROVINCIAL DISTRICT. 
Ranvncunacex. : 
Clematis indivisa, Willd. Common at low elevations. Nelson; Foxhill; 
Wairau Valley, ete. 
»» _ herasepala, DC. Near Moutere, 2 
» parviflora, A. Cunn., var. depauperata. ‘Nelson, Travers” (Hand- 
»  colensoi, Hook. fil., var. rutafolia. Wairan Valley ; Buller Valley: 
