Flora Club Has Interesting Lantern Lecture

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1948, Page 4

Flora Club Has Interesting Lantern Lecture

On a recent evening Dr. H. H. Allan, Dir'ector of the Botahy Division, Wellington, gave a iantem lecture to the Levin Native Flora CxUb which wds enjoyed by floWferlovers. in general and botahists,gardeners and AUStralians in particUlar. Having • recently spent a month in Australia in order to attend a science cohference at Perth, Dr. Allan told his audience1 about fiower's and plants of Western Australia and others seen iri botanical gardens on the return joiirney. From Auckland, Dr. Allan traveiled by air to Perth. Approaehirig Perth from a northerly 'directioii; patches of varying coiours were seen on the desert country 7,000 feet below, reds and yellows with dark patches of scriib, the dry, hard salt-pans forming shining mirrors" which reflected the colour of . the sunset. The conference .was held ih the Universify of Eerth, the gfoun'ds of which are p'lanted with ah interesting collecti'on of exotic trees and shrubs, all labelled. Part of the entertainmeht arranged for the science delegates was an evening of movirig pictutes showing th§ vegetatibn of WeStefn Australia. Three rooms were crowded with flowerihg spe'cimfens of indigenbus plants, collected from far and near forming a fascinating display. A feature Of tjie" Wester'h AUstralian floWers is their remarkable' ' rangfe of colouring. The speaker descri.bed flowers of all shades of the spectfum, not' bhly vivid in colour, but many having remarkable and uneomnion form as well. Climatie conditions divide Western Australia hitp three distinct botanical belts Northern, - "Eremean"' "(a cehtrai • a'ffo Tegion) ahd South West, the Whole area being about niiie times the size of New Zealand and having eight times the number of plant species. Some of the plants have affinities with New Zealand ones, though may are ehtirely unfamiliar. A very bedUtiful hook of colOured plates was handed round, the flowers illustrated being altogether fascinating. Among the lantern slides were picttires of botanical gardens Visited during the tour. The spfeaker especially commended the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, where wise planting in 'its early days has resulted in amazingly beautiful vistas and wonderfUfly arranged scenic affects. These gardens conta:n, an excellent collection of New Zeaiand shrubs. " During his -stay in Levin, Dr. Allan accompanied a party of club memhers to some busl; m the Tararua foothills, where a pleasant day was spent. Local members of the excursion appreciated the beneflt of Dr. Allan's expert help in assigning correct names to unfamiliar species encpuntered.