SOLANACE^ 453 



barum. Kirk also reported it from Wellington in 1877. In the Manual 

 (1906) it is stated to be not uncommon in waste places and roadsides 

 in both islands. 



Lycium horridum, Thunb. Box- thorn 



Introduced 40 or 50 years ago as a hedge-plant. Mr Cheeseman 

 states that in the Auckland district it does not maintain itself 

 outside of cultivation. But in many parts it has spread very con- 

 siderably, and has become a serious nuisance. It was declared a 

 noxious weed in the Third (optional) Schedule of the Act of 1908, 

 by Special Gazette Notice of loth September, 1908. 



Datura Stramonium, Linn. Thorn-apple 

 First recorded in Hooker's list in 1864. Stated by Kirk in 1870 

 to be occasionally met with in the Auckland Province. In 1895 the 

 Agricultural Department reported it from Auckland, Rangitikei, Wai- 

 rarapa and Picton. W. W. Smith states that it was very abundant 

 in the Ashburton district in 1895-97, but after the long drought of 

 later years it became rare. In the Manual (1906) Cheeseman reports 

 it as not uncommon in waste places in rich warm soils as far south 

 as Canterbury. 



Hyoscyamus niger, Linn. Henbane 



Reported by Kirk as occurring among ballast at Wellington. 

 Cheeseman records it in 1912 from near Pakuranga, Auckland, 

 collected by R. Green^. 



In Europe Bombus terrestris and B. laptdarius visit the flowers. 



Nicotiana Tahacum, Linn. Tobacco 



I have no record of when the tobacco plant was first introduced 

 into New Zealand, but it must have been in the very early days of 

 settlement, the seed being brought by the missionaries and by whalers 

 in the earlier years of the 19th century. The natives were very desirous 

 of obtaining the plant, and numerous tales were current of the sale 

 of dockseed to them by unscrupulous traders (see pp. 466-467). 



The first record of its occurrence as a naturalised plant is in 

 Bidwill's account of his visit to Rotorua in 1839, where he says : " there 

 was plenty of very find tobacco growing near, although I never at 

 any other place met with any that was worth gathering." The natives 

 had an extraordinary fondness for tobacco, but they took little trouble 

 either to cultivate the plant or cure the leaf. Kirk in 1869, in his list 

 of plants of the Auckland Province, notes its occurrence; and again 

 in 1877 from Wellington. Cheeseman in the Manual (1906) says it 

 occurs as "an occasional escape from cultivation in rich warm soils." 

 ^ Kerner records that an average-sized plant produces 10,000 seeds in a year. 



