402 DICOTYLEDONS AND CONIFERS 



Qiieen Charlotte Sound, and showed them how to sow and grow 

 them. 



The garden pea has never gone wild in New Zealand. 



A. R. Cruise, writing in 1820, says: 



at one place we found a number of people collected round an object, which 

 seemed to attract great attention, and which they told us when we entered 

 the circle was tabooed. It proved to be a plant of the common English 

 pea, and had been growing about two months. The seed that produced it 

 had been found in the Coromandel ; it was fenced round with little sticks, 

 and the greatest care appeared to be taken of it. 



Elsewhere he says "peas were raised while we were in the country 

 with great success, and the people promised to save the seeds and 

 grow them again." 



Faha vulgaris, Linn. Broad-Bean 



The history of the introduction of the bean into New Zealand is 

 practically the same as that of the pea ; the species is nowhere wild, 

 and it does not even occur as a garden escape. 



An interesting fact regarding this species is recorded by W. O. 

 Focke (quoted by Guppy): 



A pigeon killed by some beast of prey was found in his garden in the early 

 winter. In the following spring he noticed numerous seedlings of Vicia 

 faha sprouting up from amongst the feathers that alone remained of the 

 bird. 



Guppy considers this to be the normal method of the dispersal of 

 the Leguminosse by birds. 



Phaseolus vulgaris, Linn. Kidney-Bean 



First sown in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1773, but it was not 

 perpetuated. Occasionally runner-beans are found near gardens, but 

 the species never spreads. 



Dolichos lignosus, Linn. 



First recorded by Kirk in 1870 as forming thickets in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Auckland. 



Dolichos Lablah, Linn. 



Kirk recorded this species in 1899 as occurring on the sites of 

 deserted homesteads from Auckland to Wellington. (Fl., Oct. to 

 Feb.) 



Lens esculenta, Mcench. Common Lentil 



First recorded in 1882 by Cheeseman as a garden escape, abun- 

 dantly naturalised in Auckland Domain. In 1906 it is recorded again 

 from the same spot, but it "does not spread." 



