﻿T. 
  KiEK. 
  — 
  On 
  Plants 
  collected 
  at 
  Okarito. 
  489 
  

  

  Art. 
  LXX. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  Mr. 
  Hamilton's 
  Collection 
  of 
  Okarito 
  Playits. 
  

   By 
  T. 
  Kjrk, 
  F.L.S. 
  

   [Bead 
  before 
  the 
  Wellington 
  Fhilosophical 
  Society, 
  10th 
  January, 
  1879.] 
  

   DuEiNG 
  a 
  few 
  months' 
  residence 
  in 
  Okarito, 
  Mr. 
  Hamilton 
  made 
  a 
  collection 
  

   of 
  plants 
  found 
  in 
  tlie 
  immediate 
  vicinity, 
  and 
  kindly 
  placed 
  it 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  

   for 
  examination. 
  The 
  results 
  show 
  that 
  his 
  work 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  value, 
  not 
  

   only 
  throwing 
  light 
  upon 
  the 
  botany 
  of 
  a 
  district 
  of 
  which 
  previously 
  we 
  

   were 
  entirely 
  ignorant, 
  and 
  adding 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  species 
  to 
  our 
  flora, 
  but 
  

   especially 
  in 
  extending 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  of 
  

   certain 
  local 
  species, 
  and 
  clearing 
  up 
  doubts 
  entertained 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  

   others. 
  I 
  gladly 
  comply 
  with 
  his 
  request 
  to 
  summarize 
  the 
  chief 
  points 
  of 
  

   interest 
  brought 
  out 
  by 
  his 
  labours, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  accompany 
  the 
  

   useful 
  catalogue 
  of 
  Okarito 
  plants, 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  prepared 
  for 
  publication 
  in 
  

   our 
  Transactions.* 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Hamilton 
  informs 
  me 
  that 
  the 
  collection 
  consists 
  entirely 
  of 
  lowland 
  

   plants, 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  having 
  been 
  obtained 
  at 
  a 
  greater 
  altitude 
  

   than 
  1,000 
  feet. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  alpine 
  plants, 
  many 
  lowland 
  species 
  of 
  

   general 
  distribution 
  are 
  omitted 
  from 
  the 
  collection 
  ; 
  amongst 
  these 
  are 
  

   Podocaiyus 
  dacrydioides, 
  P. 
  ferrnginea, 
  P. 
  spicata, 
  Olearia 
  cunninghajnii, 
  

   Convolvolus 
  soldanella, 
  C. 
  sepium, 
  Panax 
  arhoreum, 
  Elaocarpus 
  dentatus, 
  

   E. 
  tetragomini, 
  Epilohium 
  jnibens, 
  Ranunculus 
  acaidis, 
  and 
  other 
  common 
  

   lowland 
  forms 
  ; 
  also 
  such 
  forms 
  as 
  Dacrydiwn 
  colensoi, 
  Libocedrus 
  hididllii, 
  

   and 
  others 
  of 
  a 
  subalpine 
  character, 
  which 
  doubtless 
  attain 
  their 
  lowest 
  

   limit 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  at 
  or 
  below 
  one 
  thousand 
  feet. 
  Amongst 
  genera 
  not 
  re- 
  

   presented 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  are 
  Pittosponim, 
  Colohajitlius, 
  Gerayiium, 
  Aciphylla, 
  

   Scliefflera, 
  Erechtites, 
  Dracophyllum, 
  Rumex, 
  Chenopodium 
  , 
  Atlierosperma, 
  Pota- 
  

   mogeton, 
  Gahnia, 
  Triticum, 
  and 
  Echinopogon, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  must 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  

   district, 
  although 
  at 
  present 
  they 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  collected, 
  while 
  many 
  large 
  

   genera, 
  as 
  Ranunculus, 
  Carndchalia, 
  Ep)ilohium, 
  Coprosma, 
  Olearia, 
  Cotula, 
  

   Pimelea, 
  Juncus, 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  species. 
  

   At 
  present, 
  therefore, 
  no 
  conclusions 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  apparent 
  absence 
  of 
  

   certain 
  species 
  would 
  be 
  trustworthy, 
  and 
  I 
  can 
  do 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  point 
  

   out 
  the 
  most 
  remarkable 
  species, 
  and 
  indicate 
  the 
  additions 
  made 
  to 
  our 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  of 
  others. 
  

  

  Alectryon 
  excelsum, 
  DCand., 
  and 
  Qidntinia 
  serrata, 
  Cunn., 
  both 
  of 
  which 
  

   may 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  find 
  their 
  southern 
  limit 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  Okarito, 
  are 
  not 
  

   represented 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Hamilton's 
  collection. 
  

   Lejndium, 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  fragment 
  of 
  an 
  erect 
  plant 
  belonging 
  to 
  this 
  genus 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  collection. 
  

   The 
  branches 
  are 
  long 
  and 
  somewhat 
  spreading 
  ; 
  leaves 
  half 
  inch 
  long, 
  

  

  * 
  Vide 
  Art. 
  LXIX» 
  ~~ 
  ~" 
  

  

  