Seeds From Rare Plant Germinate In Auckland

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28261, 26 April 1957, Page 9

Seeds From Rare Plant Germinate In Auckland

(New Jtealdnd Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 25. Seeds of a plant which in its wild state is the rarest in the world have germinated at the Plant Diseases Research Station in Auckland, and are sending out tiny kidney-shaped leaves. The seeds are from the Tecomanthe speciosa, of which the only single specimen growing naturally is on one of the Three Kings Islands. The plant was discovered by Professor G. T. S. Baylis, professor of botany at Otago University, and the first specimen was collected in 1946 by Mr E. G. Turbott, ornithologist at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The plant from which the seeds now growing were taken was brought back by Professor Baylis in 1950.

A vigorously-growing vine, the plant first flowered in 1953, and produced its first pods early this year. It is a member of the bignonia family. The pods have grown about four inches in length. Each pod contains between 100

and 200 winged seeds. Mr J. A. Hunter, horticulturist at the station, said today that they had never been found near the solitary wild plant on Three Kings Islands, and this was perhaps the reason that no other specimens existed there. Now that new plants had been propagated from seed, said Mr Hunter, it was possible that eventually home gardeners would grow Tecomanthe speciosa. H* thought hybridists might cross the plant with other members of the bignonia family and introduce brighter colours into the flowers, which naturally are cream.