IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Hokitika Guardian, 31 March 1923, Page 4

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

'• PLANTS IX ARTHUR’S PASS. | (By .). Drummond F.L.S.. I'.Z.S. in “Dvitelton Times:."} il . Interesting native plants were seen by Mr J. ]!. Armstrong, Sydenham, a talented and experienced botanist, when lie visited A.rtiiur'.s Pass in January. The most cotisiiicitous was a , i parasite wltith is iiiinmonly known as ' j th.e scarlet mistletoe, hut which he, i more hotanieall.v. relers to as the hcech n j loranth. “it was in full bloom." be ; write'-, “and its Mowers lighted up the • l' ! dmk her eh forest", with bright scarlet, j L ; It- parasitism is a mild type. Having j .j ; abundant foliage it can elaborate its ; : own sap, simply drawing its supply ut j lluid matter through the roots and sap- j . Vessels of its best. Neither the para- j -ill- nor the 'no t. apparently, does any ! J injury to the plant, the two living to- t j get tier in harmony, it is somewhat .j ' strange to find this parasite thriv.'iie; :n | our fold mountainous district. j gi mis kr-ranthus. excepting .New ZeaI laud species, is almost exclusively troj pical. The beech loranth seems to he v | more plentiful iti Canterbury than in .5, ; any other part ul New Zealand. Diete •r| j must be hundred; of individuals of it „'| ; in the itealcy Valley alone. Dev. ciforts ) ! have been mad.o to fling these gerL ! I'vous plants into garden ciiltivaiion. nits Though they are amongst the most beautiful shrubs known. An "Hurt was made to cultivate a loranth in tic' ( liristi huirh Botanical Gardens, many ; years ago. when a bush ui the bereii j , loranth was grown Oil a native bee. a. j , It was a large specimen end it la;: 111- < | ed freely for many years, hut we- oc- ,'(| j struyed under a mistaken idea that ii. j was injuring it; host. Any amateur | j gardener v.ho ha- a lam-y lor tee- ■ [,, i ..-olendid -hrnh and ha- a nutivi liei en j I tree, may establi-h it h.v graftii.g it- | I or bv sowing the pliradte - ‘ci-i.'. t'l i | notches on the hark.'' h! | Sundew-, which I, 'long to a group j ic j that Darwin dealt with in Ins v.’ck | s- in in-.a ti vermis plains were much in I is •i \ iil, ii. .' in the Bass during Mr Ann- j Is I slmne,'s vi-il growing in wet pkc c j t- aniong-t moss. Ilirce ;pc i. s inv r*- !. presented. The protlicsl. he states, is r. the spat h-lcavvil sundew, whoso leave; L. ioimi liny m clles almost coveico by : I: i>rigll l rod hairs, each hair tinned by 11 : k- small glolmiai or oblong gland whiih ! g- seoreies a I i-oid tliiid. He w rit. ; ot j l>. these remarkable plain..-: " I'D-.' ghmil- dular hairs are very ren-itive. 5\ hen I A t. ij i-lu‘ by an insert or a grain ol pol- , t- ii'ii. they htcc.nie intlexod toward; the ; ii,-: .a (il - Hi.' other o!>j"i-l that 11 r. re-t- I | ...I on tlm hair-. Darwin ami other oh- | | sei vi e- Juiwed t l:a 1 the captured in- ! j . .i- aie ilig.-t I l.'.v the glandular ! y . j bail- and in-ip lo mull i h I In.' plaliis. J | They may la- cull iva ted easily in imtsol j jno ;■ i-. •;! i ipiile moi.-t. A - there are I j n any li.ds ol sundews m our , I mini il: airthey mini take great numj ! a■ rs m-0.-i; every year, due specs; • ; "j in Arthur'-. I’a;s. enopet a la. is mm h i d‘ i larger than the spatlt-letitcil specie- ! | mentioned before, ha- target rouudi-h | |i. | leaves on long -lali. . and its glaudu ; [ u , I 111 l hail" ;nv fewer. The third spec! '; | |ir tl: (’avs. known as Arelnri, has j ;si rap-shiilied leaves anil sti'l tew or i hairs. 'I h llo'sers ( . ..11 ilm -oc; mx'l' am while " On-hiil aie -nmwhat - :n. m the ! 8‘ Ba«.; at the time of Mr ArmstiTuig's I x- \ i-iI in January. In wet mess, he -aw | lie a, pretiy. 'lender lilt!.' sue ios. will > j 1 id green leave- anil somewhat small j 1,, ; w bile lloWi-rs ('a 1 oiloii i a hileiia . I : I t’ • ■: oie; usually has tw c iooi ; i v. hit** 111 her - peoio.s of Gal.o! ■; ia |,a ve I I | only ei leaf, some botanist have re- I ■ n ' ed it to another goons, imt Mr ■d i 'im imiig state;' that many indiviiliial.- j lo i o| hilolia he saw in the I'a;- have only j i, I olio leal. .Mountain aster.. Celmisie. | | wore plentiful anil were lilonmin-; in on j i usual ahiii'ihne >. Imi 01 i,wi ! v< j j il';.. are repre.-'-uHJ ill llv pa frei'.t i j ill" tiny .dan.lnlo- a In th r I • rgest j j grou ; liir. - feel high and ha; j .1 ; long silverv h rives. In hi- not - I ... i’ll these plants. Mr Armstrong | ! '.•■rites': “Great uniiibei's, of the i.niin- ; : tain a-ter-' -olendid while flow or-; in ! '; l! Pass wore gatll fell I. > i-itlll's •' | I rum town. A • ('clmi'ia i. ; lie mo-; : ; t i:: 11 stin;h .! New oia i d pin uI -. II i ’ i; re ere it able Dm a few mem her; n! | ( ;D- fomd, now are seen .ur iiiDli. i and pi it nu gard-'m. It i- cut c! 1!! i r) 11 i •j !to i ultiv at■ them ii h lilt I ait n>i,m i ' I!• gl I. ... .ml ■ : j in i'a Da . b- Imre lo the ia ath lam- ! il\- ii i; ih ■ la.rgesi known Ulemher of | I the r , 'oily - Ini 'it I, ; ’ !•; - like tl ■ eab- | j log ii oe. i i was discovered iii tic | j Do ■ li, Mr J. D Armstrong in March. | j| I I•: 5. s-'uoi! all "l".’. ;t id-- Mr \V. T. !.. ; , I Ir. v r- l.iiteil it on lhe lluninn>. Sir ... J. ,Ji Hunker dedicated it |. Mr Tin- j ■vr-. a! J it. a ' Di'ac'iphyllm:; traver- I -ii, I. sc hi- u-m a Of it. Mr J. ]!. | ~j? • i>i I•- of ji :k ;! er -. ti sg-mhliin.r i p.iiie.aioj in sii ami -har.” are the i j origin J' ii - im 1. line 'liililc. to;- oiia | .. m- !■■ ti--.. i mli vidua 1 • iviiiii i:r I i. ill lb IT;-- : a. 11 Da- liirgi r (m ■- have bail -l 's(,| by lire. Slim- '.luiulit j ho la!.on to jicul r-et ibis slraugf mul j ,1 rail.' prndurt of Xafura." Mr A rmstron".' -■ nod-: cml with a J l] refer.lice to another group ol tm •: | ‘•The strange conifers, or pine-, of Dm j mi,mil -do- wire greatly in <•, i<’ roe o.i , that visit. Col.la-.'s pirn-. Of.eiy.iiuic ! i oli-nso. forms rouur! i! I ns! m ■ ill wet 010- os aim ;u?' i h - rook- ; Ii has Ireen | mistaken lor Wruuica. and it; 11' m j Ilium e t- son',' of the I’miulo-V moni- i i ei’s is v.'c II niai'ic.ul. Although merely a ! hi'sh at high altitudes, ii he me 1 j fairly large Dee lower down in the j Westland forests, whole it is known as j _ -ilver pine, and same of it; varied.'; | have boon givi ii spwilie names. Tlie j _ most remarkable cornier in our moon- j . | tains i- liner,'vtlimu in:.ilelium. 'oe I smallest pine in the- world, it is a duil | colon i oil. very slender olein. - -Mom j [ more than lon iueiie; high. It near' : i miniature ciukirs ui mini...' red (!""•- ~ ci' . Th *i'e are tw.: forms ol ii. mm prostrate rr creeping over wet iimw. , the other standing , ris t. D is a se.r- . prising unit fast In its hiitv elm e relation. the limn, which sometimes is more than KM Icet high.