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the case of ISTew Zealand : it is but a century since the islands were discovered 

 by Cook ; less than sixty years since the early visits of whalers, and the 

 establishment of the first mission stations ; and not half that period has elapsed 

 since settlement was commenced in a systematic manner, yet already the 

 number of naturalized plants, — that is to say, of non-indigenous plants 

 propagating their species, and becoming diffused without the intentional agency 

 of man, or even in opposition thereto, in the Province of Auckland alone, — is 

 equivalent to fully thirty per cent, of the entire number of flowering plants 

 found within the limits of the Colony ; a proportion equalling, as we have 

 already seen, that which exists in the British Islands, with a commerce dating 

 from a period anterior to the Christian era. Some of these introductions have 

 largely displaced the original vegetation in many localities, from the North 

 Cape to the Bluff ; from the sea level to the highest spots on the hills trodden 

 by the miner or shepherd ; while others are confined to a limited area, and 

 apparently exercise no direct influence on the original flora. 



A reliable account of the ]:>resent state of even a few species is a 

 contribution of no small value, tending to prevent the uncertainty and confusion 

 with regard to the geographic origin of a large portion of the flora, which we 

 have seen to prevail so largely in countries of old commerce and civilization, 

 affording a starting point for measuring the rate of diffusion, and noting the 

 power of displacement of, or amalgamation with, the original flora ; and in 

 this and other points preparing important material for unlocking the histories 

 of past immigrations in other countries. 



The object of this paper is simply to place upon record the present state 

 of the diffusion of naturalized plants in this province, as fully as the available 

 material will allow, with a due regard to conciseness. In those cases where 

 the species under notice is known to occur in other parts of the colony, the 

 facts will be mentioned, but, unhappily, these are far too few to admit of this 

 sketch being considered anything more than a sketch of the naturalized plants 

 of the Province of Auckland. 



For the facts recorded in this paper, the writer is personally responsible, 

 except when otherwise stated ; the only published accounts available, are a 

 list of aboiit sixty species given in " Flora ISTovse Zelandise," Vol. ii. ; a list of 

 about one hundred and seventy species in the " Handbook of the New Zealand 

 Flora,"— the additions comprised in which, were largely contributed by the 

 present writer ; and lists of the naturalized plants of the Great Barrier Island, 

 and other localities, prepared by him, and published in the "Transactions of 

 the New Zealand Institute," Yol. i. 



Many important bearings of this subject will, it is hoped, afford material 

 for future study. The increased diffusion of certain of the indigenous species 

 by external agencies, only called into operation since the settlement of the 

 colony ; the possible introduction of a few additions to the original flora, by 

 the Maori race ; the displacement of a portion of the original species ; the 

 spontaneous amalgamation of introduced and native species for the benefit of 

 man ; the relative statistical importance of the naturalized species to each 

 other, and to the indigenous flora ; the influence of climatal and geognostic 

 conditions in facilitating or retarding distribution, and in developing aberrations 

 from the original type, are attractive subjects of vast importance to the phyto- 

 geographical student, and at the 'present time could probably be worked out 

 more clearly and with greater precision for this colony than for any other 

 country whose flora is equally well determined, owing to the small admixture 

 of error with the facts upon which the student must base his conclusions. 



The following plan has been adopted for expressing the known facts for 

 each species, in a concise manner, and admits of ready adaptation for other 

 districts. 



