﻿292 Transactions, — Botany, 



Art. L. — Report of a Committee of the Canierhury Philosophical Institute on 

 Native and Introduced Grasses. 



[Submitted to the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 5th April, 1871.] 



In presenting to this Society their report, your Committee have to express 

 regret that in some respects their labours have not been crowned with the 

 success they anticipated, more especially as regards native grasses. 



As a first step in the prosecution of the task allotted to them, your 

 Committee resolved on taking in hand the subject of native grasses, as being, 

 besides its intrinsic importance, that on which information was most deficient. 

 To facilitate the collection of such information, they prepared a printed list of 

 such native grasses as appeared to them most valuable (33 in number), with a 

 series of questions in a shape conveniently arranged for the insertion of the 

 required answers. These questions referred mainly to the locality, altitude, 

 and peculiarities of soil in which each grass is found. Its season of fiowering 

 or seeding, its feeding value in different seasons of the year, the special cir- 

 cumstances affecting its growth, its power of resisting drought and frost, its 

 comparative feeding properties, and how it is relished by different kinds of 

 stock, its increase or the reverse since the settlement of the country and the 

 cause thereof, and generally any other information that could be furnished. 



A large number of these papers, accompanied by a printed circular, setting 

 forth the objects your Committee had in view, were distributed amongst 

 gentlemen who were thought likely to take an interest in the subject, both in 

 this and the other provinces of ISTew Zealand. 



One serious obstacle in the way of acquiring the desired information did 

 not fail to present itself to your Committee, namely, their inability, save in a 

 very few cases, to give any but the botanical names of the native grasses. 

 This they feared would prove an insurmountable difficulty to many persons 

 who would otherwise willingly respond to their inquiries. Their anticipations 

 on this head have proved but too correct. 



To lessen this impediment so far as lay in their power-, your Committee in 

 some instances, therefore, where from the presumed pursuits and studies of the 

 persons addressed they believed it advisable, added a special communication, 

 of which the following is an extract : — 



" The Committee in preparing a list of grasses have had a difficulty in 

 giving the common names, and as many observers of grasses may not be able 

 to recognise them under their scientific nomenclature, it is desirable that the 

 English and Maoii names should be added where practicable. Believing that 

 you will be able to assist them in this object, the Committee will feel obliged 



