Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, 1874. [electronic resource]

Volume 7, 1874

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Art. LVI.—On some of the Naturalized Plants of Otago.

By G. M. Thomson.

[Read before the Otago Institute, 7th April, 1874.]

Mr. Kirk has recently called my attention to the fact that no list has yet been drawn up of the naturalized plants either of Dunedin or Otago. It is to be regretted that steps have not been taken, ere this, to watch and record the introduction of all foreign plants, as otherwise it becomes in course of time almost a matter of impossibility, on finding a plant of cosmopolitan distribution, to say, with any degree of certainty, whether it is indigenous or not. We have lately had experience of this difficulty, in the case of one of the commonest of weeds—Polygonum aviculare—which has given rise to so much discussion

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Haematococcus Sanguineus

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between Messrs. Travers and Kirk. For the future the evil may be to a great extent avoided, by cataloguing all the non-indigenous plants hitherto collected, and constantly supplementing this record by the addition of every fresh discovery. It is quite unnecessary to point to the uncertainty which exists with regard to a large proportion of the British flora as to its origin. In this country there are some plants to which doubt may yet attach, as to the time of their introduction and the place from which they were originally carried.

Perhaps there is no method by which foreign plants are introduced in such quantity and variety as by the direct importation of agricultural and other seeds from Britain and other countries where there is much cultivated land. Every one conversant with rural matters in England or on the Continent, knows that, even where high cultivation is the rule, hundreds of species of weeds contest for possession of the soil, along with the legitimate crop of the husbandman. The meadows and pastures teem with their own peculiar weeds, and the seeds of these are certain to be present in greater or less quantity in all grass seeds collected. English seedsmen are in the habit also of purchasing largely from foreign importers, particularly heavy seeds, as clovers, timothy, rape, etc., so that seed brought to this country from any part of Britain is nearly sure to contain a great deal that is not bargained for, even when most carefully selected. By this means also, the weeds of Europe, America, India, etc., are distributed far and wide over our Colonial Empire, and, as is too often the case, to the serious detriment of the country which imports them. As a case in point, I may mention that, in 1869, a farmer in Southland imported from Messrs. Lawson and Sons of London and Edinburgh—a firm which has made the cultivation of grasses their speciality—a quantity of selected grass seed for laying down in permanent pasture. The assortment comprised twenty-one species of plants, but besides all that were included in the list making their appearance in due time, no less than thirty-seven species of weeds were found among them, including the clover-dodder (Guscuta trifolii), and other comparatively rare plants.

In the Transactions of the N.Z. Institute, vol. II., p. 131, Mr. Kirk has drawn up a very elaborate series of divisions for the proper classification of naturalized plants. One of the most rapid agencies for the diffusion of such plants, and which affects horticultural as well as agricultural and accidentally introduced species, is that of floods. The Taieri plain furnishes a good example of this, plants from most diverse localities and introduced by totally different agencies, being there found in close proximity to each other.

In the accompanying list, I have to some extent followed the plan adopted by Mr. Kirk, using two or three similar contractions, and dividing them into similar series according to their method of introduction, viz:—

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(a.) Horticultural. (Hor.) Escapes from, or remains of gardens.
(b.) Agricultural. (Agri.) Escapes from, or remains of field cultivation.
(c.) Accidentally. (Acc.) Introduced by animals, or unintentionally by man's agency.
(d.) Uncertain. (Unc.)

List of Naturalized Plants found in Otago.

Ranunculaceæ.

1.	Ranunculus acris, (L.) Acc. Common in rich pastures and cultivated bush land.
2.	" repens, (L.) Acc.

Berberidaceæ.

3.	Berberis vulgaris, (L.) Hor. Abandoned gardens in the Taieri Plain.

Papaveraceæ.

4. Papaver rhoeas, (L.) Acc. In one or two spots in cultivated land, and near Dunedin in gardens.

Fumariaceæ.

5.	Fumaria officinalis, (L.) Acc. In cultivated land.

Cruciferæ.

6.	Cheiranthus cheiri, (L.) Hor. Escaped from gardens, and gone wild in a few dry and stony localities.
7.	Nasturtium officinale, (R. Br.) Hor. or Acc. Possibly introduced as a salad plant, but now abundant in streams.
8.	Barbarea vulgaris, (R. Br.) Acc. Certainly the introduced plant, now a common wayside weed.
9.	Brassica oleracea, (L.) Agri. or Hor. On Otago Peninsula and Taieri Plain.
10.	" rapa, (L.) Hor. and Agri. Establishing themselves as weeds in some cultivations.
11.	" napus, (L.) Agri.
12.	Sinapis arvensis, (L.) Acc. Fields and roadsides.
13.	Cochlearia armoracia, (L.) Hor. Abandoned gardens.
14.	Lepidium campestre, (R. Br.) Acc. Roadsides.

Resedaceæ.

15.	Reseda suffruticulosa, (L.) Hor. As a weed in some gardens in Dunedin.

Violaceæ.

16.	Viola tricolor, (L.) Acc. In arable lands.
17.	” “ var. arvensis (Murr.). Acc. In arable lands.

Caryophyllaceæ.

18.	Silene gallica, (L.) Acc. or Hor. Abundant on the Forbury Head, Dunedin.
19.	Lychnis githago, (Lam.) Acc. In arable and grass lands.
20.	Stellria media, (Wither.) Acc. Common weed.
21.	Cerastium glomeratum, (Thiul.) Acc. In arable land and roadsides.

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22.	Cerastium vulgatum, (L.) Acc. Common weed.

Geraniaceæ.

23.	Geranium molle, (L.) Acc. Roadsides, fields, and meadows.

Linaceæ

24.	Linum usitatissimum, (L.) Agri. Fields and waste ground.

Leguminosæ.

25.	Ulex europœus, (L.) Agri. or Hor. Selfsown from gardens and hedgerows. Have become a pest in some pastures.
26.	Sarothamnus scoparisis, (Koch.) Agri. or Hor.
27.	Medicago sativa (L.) Agri. Occurs in pasture in Southland, but seems to make no progress.
28.	Medicago lupulina, (L.) Agri. Meadows.
29.	Trifolium pratense, (L.) Agri. "
30.	" medium,(L.) Agri." increasing fast.
31.	" repens (L.) Agri. In pastures, and in fact everywhere from sea-level to 1,500 feet.
32.	Trifolium minus, (Sm.) Agri. Very abundant in pasture, etc.
33.	Lotus corniculatus, (L.) Agri. In pastures.
34.	" major, (Scop.) Agri. Pasture in Southland.
36.	Anthyllis vulneraria, (L.) Acc. Introduced with grass seeds into Southland.
37.	Vicia tetrasperma, (Mœnch.) Acc. Fields and roadsides.
38.	" sativa, (L.) Agri. or Acc. Fields and pastures.
39.	Onobrychis sativa, (Lam.) Agri. Fields and meadows, but does not increase.

Rosaceæ

40.	Fragaria vesca, (L.) Hor. Woods, banks, and pastures.
41.	Rubus idœus, (L.) Hor. Old gardens.
42.	" fruticosus (?.) Hor. Roadsides, etc.
43.	Rosa rubiginosa, (L.) Hor.
44.	" canina, (L.) Hor.

Grossulariaceæ.

45.	Ribes grossularia, (L.) Hor. Old gardens and in bush.

Umbelliferæ.

46.	Apium graveolens, (L.) Hor. Escapes from gardens.
47.	Pitroselinum sativum, (L.) Hor.
48.	Pastinaca sativa, (L.) Hor.
49.	Daucus carota, (L.) Hor.

Caprifoliaceæ.

50.	Sambucus nigra, (L.) Hor. In a few spots in bush.

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Rubiaceæ.

51.	Sherardia arvensis, (L.) Acc. Pastures, arable land and roadsides.

Dipsacaceæ.

52.	Knautia arvensis, (Coult.) Acc. In a meadow at Roslyn, Dunedin.

Compositæ.

53.	Bellis perennis, (L.) Acc. Pastures.
54.	Achillœa millefolium, (L.) Acc. Pastures in Taíeri Plain.
55.	Anthemis nobilis, (L.) Hor. Meadows and roadsides.
56.	Matricaria parthenium, (L.) Hor. Meadows.
57.	Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, (L.) Acc. Pastures.
58.	" segetum, (L.) Acc. ".
59.	Artemisia absinthium, (L.) Hor. Spreading from gardens with great rapidity.
60.	Senecio vulgaris, (L.) Acc. Fields, waysides, etc.
61.	Centaurea cyanus, (L.) Acc. Fields in Taieri Plain.
62.	Carduus lanceolatus, (L.) Acc. Abundant everywhere.
63.	Chichorium intybus, (L.) Hor. Fields on the Taieri.
64.	Taraœacum dens-leonis, (Desf.) Acc. Fields and waysides.
65.	Sonchus oleraceus, (L.) Acc. Abundant weeds.
66.	" asper, (Hoffm.)
67.	"arvensis, (L.) Acc. Cultivated land.
68.	Crepis virens, (L.) Acc. Fields and roadsides.

Convolvulaceæ.

69.	Cuscuta trifolii, (Bab.) Acc. Introduced into Southland from Britain with clover seed in 1869.

Boraginaceæ.

70.	Echium vulgare, (L.) Acc. In meadow in Southland.
71.	Lithospermum arvense, (L.) Acc. Fields and roadsides in Taieri Plain.

Scrophulariaceæ.

72.	Digitalis purpurea, (L.) Hor. Escaped into the bush in many localities.
73.	Linaria purpurea, (Mill.) Hor. Near Dunedin.
74.	Rhinanthus crista-galli, (L.) Acc. In meadows.
75.	Veronica chamœdrys, (L.) Acc. Pastures in Taieri Plain.
76.	"serpyllifolia, (L.) Acc. Pastures and waste ground.

Labiatæ.

77.	Mentha viridis, (L.) Hor. Abundant on banks of streams.
78.	Ajuga reptans, (L.) Acc. Covering great parts of the town-belt round Dunedin.

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Primulaceæ.

79.	Primula vulgaris, (L.) Hor. In neighbourhood of gardens.
80.	Anagallis arvensis, (L.) Acc. Dry open banks and roadsides.

Plantaginaceæ.

81.	Plantago lanceolata, (L.) Acc. These ribworts are all found as meadow and wayside weeds, often associated together.
82.	" media, (L.) Acc.
83.	" major, (L.) Acc.

Polygonaceæ.

84.	Rumeœ crispus, (L.) Acc. An exceedingly abundant weed.
85.	" acetosella, (L.) Acc. Abundant everywhere, and most difficult of eradication.
86.	Polygonum aviculare, (L.) Acc. Indigenous or introduced. An exceedingly common weed.
87.	" convolvulus, (L.) Acc. A weed in many gardens in Dunedin.

Euphorbiaceæ.

88.	Euphorbia peplus, (L.) Acc. A garden weed; common.
89.	" lathyris, (L.) Acc. or Hor. Only seen in the neighbourhood of Dunedin, where it occurs as a garden weed.

Urticaceæ.

90.	Urtica urens, (L.) Acc. or Unc. Some small patches occur in the Valley of the Leith, and appear to be increasing, though not so fast as might be expected.

Gramineæ.

91.	Anthoœanthum odoratum, (L.) Agri. All introduced as pasture grasses.
92.	Phleum pratense, (L.) Agri.
93.	Alopecurus pratensis, (L.) Agri.
94.	Holcus lanatus, (L.) Acc. Very abundant in fields, swamps, roadsides, etc.
95.	" mollis, (L.) Acc.
96.	Poa annua, (L.) Acc. Indigenous or introduced.
97.	" pratensis, (L.) Agri. Meadows in Southland.
98.	Briza media, (L.) Acc. or Hor. Waysides about Dunedin.
99.	Dactylis glomerata, (L.) Agri. Meadows and pastures.
100.	Festuca ovina, (L.) Agri. Introduced as pasture grasses.
101.	" " var. duriuscula, (L.) Agri
102.	" Pratensis, (Huds.) Agri.
103.	" "var. elatior, (Koch.) Agri.
104.	Serrafalcus mollis, (Parl.) Acc. In meadows and roadsides.
105.	Lolium perenne, (L.) Agri. Introduced as pasture grasses.
106.	" italicum, (A. Braun.) Agri.

The foregoing comprise all the naturalized plants as yet collected by me. There are still, however, a great many introduced grasses, and I have never examined the littoral and aquatic floras, so that no doubt the above list would

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require to be doubled or trebled to represent adequately the number of nonindigenous plants. I hope that this small contribution may be the means of inciting other members of the Institute and Field Club to make known any plants which they have discovered, and which are not mentioned by me.

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