Native Flora Club Starts Study Scheme

Chronicle (Levin), 6 April 1949, Page 4

Native Flora Club Starts Study Scheme

The last meeting of the Levin Native Flora Club was wefl-attend-ed. Mr. A. S. Wilkinson inaugurated the ^ub's new study scheme with a discourse on the four differ-->nt species of totara — Podocarpus totara, P. hallii, P. acutifo'ius and ?. nivalis. The first, bearing the specific name of totara, is spread over most of New Zealand with the exceptlon of Stewart Islandi It often occurs in groves. ~ Probably the biggest one known was in the Wairarapa, near Nireaha, where there were 200 acres of huge trees in one b^ock. On a ridge near Banks Peninsula were two totara trees measuring 45 feet and 57 feet in circumference respeetively. The wood, being easy to work, is one of New Zealand's most valuable timbers, and is used for short stringers in bridges, and for wharf-pi'es, where it is not affected by the boring of the toredo. The bark is often two inches thick and was used by the old-time Maoris ■ in a variety of ways, including covering for huts. The Maoris made totara warcanoes over 80 feet long. Totara barge-boards of huts abandoned by their owners were found to be in jperfeet condition 105 years later. j Podocarpus halli (thin-bark totara) was not differentiated from ordinary totara till 1889, when.Kirk described it. The bark is thiri and na.pery and the wood is not as dur.able a's P. totara. P. acutifolius, ;with short,- very* prickly leaves, occurs only' in the 'South Island, and the alpine P. nivalis is a low-grow-ing shrub, growing in exposed Places over 2000 feet. It is a good "binder" and prevents erosion. Mr. J. W. Stratford then described ohservations made during an extensive tour of the South Is'and. Scenery alona the coast road from Westport to Greymouth was greatadmired, especially the groves of nikaus, the blowholes and the pan.cake rocks. In the vicinity of Oamaru an extensive amount of cropping was noticed, preparing much winter feed for stock. Between Invercargill and Gore was seen some of the best-looking farming land. Here the extensive cropping ceased, the stock looked in splendid condition and the pasture perfect. In describing Lake Wakatipu, Mr. Stratford remarked that it differs greatly in appearance from the lakes in the North Ts1and. its beauty being in the ruggedness of its rocky surroundings. Steep rocky mountains descend right to the water's edge, the steepness leavirig no place for waterfowl, which consequently were not seen. A snowsLorm winding around , the rock face gave it a grim grahdeur. One of th'3 sights near Christchurch was a large sheep station with its name, "YaMhurst" spelled out across the paddocks in rows of pinus insignis trees, a sight which cduld be seen afar off. The next outing of the club will be on April 23, when it is intended to visit a portion of the Papaitonga hnsh