VIOLACE^ 379 



Viola arvensis, Murray 



First recorded in 1873 from cultivated land in Otago by the author 

 and again from Wellington by Kirk in 1877. It is not common and 

 appears only as a weed in cultivated fields. 



Viola odorata, Linn. Sweet Violet 



I record this species, because innumerable attempts have been 

 made to naturalise it in the open, but they have never succeeded. 

 The probable explanation is that neither among the indigenous nor 

 introduced insects is there found one which can fertilise its flowers. 

 At the same time in my own garden in Dunedin it used to seed some- 

 what freely from cleistogamic flowers, but only in rather dry situa- 

 tions. KLirk reported it in 1877 from Ohariu, but added "possibly 

 planted." 



I have recorded, in connection with guinea-pigs, how these animals 

 running wild in a garden, and on lawns in which violets were growing, 

 enabled the latter to increase to a great extent. The guinea-pigs ate 

 the grass very close, but would not touch the violets. Kerner has 

 already pointed out that cattle, when grazing among grass which 

 contains violets, will not eat the flowers of the latter. 



lonidium filiforme, F. Muell. 



Recorded by Eark, in the Student's Flora (1899), as found in 

 grassy places near Lake Takapuna, Auckland, by Miss Rolleston. 



POLYGALEtE 



Polygala myrtiflora, Linn. 



First recorded by Kirk from Auckland district in 1 869 . Cheeseman 

 (1906) reports it as a garden escape in several localities near Auckland ; 

 and from near Napier, on the authority of Colenso. Carse records it 

 (1915) as found sparsely among sand-dunes on the west coast of 

 Mongonui County. 



Polygala virgata, Thunb. 



Recorded in 1912 by Cheeseman from several parts of the North 

 Island: "among fern and low tea-tree scrub at Mangatete, near 

 Awanui (H. Carse); edge of forest near Kaitaia (Mrs Foley); in 

 several places near Kihikiki, Waikato (N. M. Lethbridge)." Mr 

 Cheeseman adds, "it is probably a garden escape, although I cannot 

 learn that the species has been in cultivation in any of the localities 

 quoted above." 



