NATIVE FLORA CLUB OUTING

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1947, Page 4

NATIVE FLORA CLUB OUTING

A recent excursion of the Levin Native Flora Club took the members to the banks of the Makahika, tribucary of the Ohau River, where many different plant species were observed. A patch of swamp forest, dominated by some very tall pukatea trees, showed typical components of such bush, examples being white pine, black maire, mairetawhake, tawa, ribbonwood, ramarama, and putaputaweta (or "marble-leaf"), with a number of other species also represented. The beautiful dusky-pink ftower-clus-ters of the perching lily, Astelia cunninghamii, were specially admired. Supplejack (another lily) had flowers and green and coloured fruits, and the marble-leaf and mahoe trees were tbickly covered with bloom, the latter diffusing a strong scent. Other regions in the vicinity were a ferny gully overhung with trees, wet banks with a number of little plants, which like the constant drip of water, and a small lagoon and swamp with many different waterweeds.

I On the open gravelly flat by the ! river an int.roduced weed was twin- ' I ing. ' This was the foxglove, 'the purple and white spires of which dotted a considerable area. To the ; six children present these were a vision of "Fairyland," enhanced by the sight of a rabbit running across the flat, but to the elders the ap■preciation of their beauty was marred by the knowledge that they are a troublesome weed. As such. however, they could be gathered without any pangs of conscience; and acknowledging their charm many of those present returned jwith bunches for decoration. i