NEW ZEALAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER NUMBER 44 JUNE 1996 Erratum - New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter 44 Authors of "A revised checklist of New Zealand mistletoe (Loranthaceae) hosts" are: P.J. de Lange, Northern Regional Science Group, Science and Research Division, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 68908, Newton, Auckland; D.A. Norton, Conservation Group, School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch; and B.P.J. Molloy, Research Associate, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research Ltd, P O Box 69, Lincoln NEW ZEALAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER NUMBER 44 JUNE 1996 CONTENTS News Regional Botanical Society News Auckland Botanical Society 3 Canterbury Botanical Society 3 Nelson Botanical Society 4 Notes and Reports Field Report Mt Holdsworth - An interesting botanical jaunt 5 Comment Warning - Plants and skin don't often mix 7 Plant Records Gunnera hamiltonii: new information on phenology and distribution 8 Some interesting plant distributions in the Eastern Arrowsmith Range, Central Canterbury 9 Notes on two bryophytes from Piripiri Road caves, Ruahine Ranges 11 Abrotanella fertilis Swenson from the Huirau Range 13 Research Reports A new Hebe species: Hebe tairawhiti B.D. Clarkson et Garn.-Jones 13 An investigation of the significance of oil bodies in Marchantia polymorpha as a snail repellant 14 A revised checklist of New Zealand mistletoe (Loranthaceae) hosts 15 Biography/Bibliography In praise of the research achievements of older scientists 24 Tribute to Dr Michael Edward Hoare (1941-1996) 25 Biographical notes (22): Bernard Cracroft Aston (1871-1951) 26 Publications Journals received 29 Forthcoming conferences/meetings A selection of plants: Etienne Raoul and the Botany of Banks Peninsula 29 Exhibition announcement 30 Desiderata Request for fresh fruit of indigenous species 30 Cover illustration Flowering branch of Hebe tairawhiti in cultivation at Hamilton, 5 March 1996. Plant grown from a cutting collected on Tarndale Road, Waiapu Ecological District. Inset at left: raceme of unripe capsules. Inset at bottom: corolla, showing anthers and style. Illustration by Catherine Beard, Herbarium Keeper, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato. New Zealand Botanical Society President: Jessica Beever Secretary/Treasurer: Anthony Wright Committee: Catherine Beard, Colin Webb, Carol West, Beverley Clarkson, Bruce Clarkson Address: C/- Auckland Institute & Museum Private Bag 92018 AUCKLAND Subscriptions The 1996 ordinary and institutional subs are $14 (reduced to $10 if paid by the due date on the subscription invoice). The 1996 student sub, available to full-time students, is $7 (reduced to $5 if paid by the due date on the subscription invoice). Back issues of the Newsletter are available at $2.50 each - from Number 1 (August 1985) to Number 43 (March 1996). Since 1986 the Newsletter has appeared quarterly in March, June, September and December. New subscriptions are always welcome and these, together with back issue orders, should be sent to the Secretary/Treasurer (address above). Subscriptions are due by 28 February of each year for that calendar year. Existing subscribers are sent an invoice with the December Newsletter for the next year's subscription which offers a reduction if this is paid by the due date. If you are in arrears with your subscription a reminder notice comes attached to each issue of the Newsletter. Deadline for next issue The deadline for the September 1996 issue (Number 45) is 31 August 1996. Please forward contributions to: Bruce & Beverley Clarkson, Editors NZ Botanical Society Newsletter 7 Lynwood Place HAMILTON Contributions may be provided on an IBM compatible floppy disc (in Word Perfect 5.1) or by e-mail ([email protected]). 2 NEWS Regional Botanical Society News • Auckland Botanical Society Forthcoming activities Saturday, 20 July Cascade-Kauri Park. A walk based around the Lower Kauri Track/Long Road Track Thursday, 25 July "Threatened plant management: case studies from the South Island"; Dr David Norton Sunday, 18 August Browns Island. Botany and geology of a little volcanic remnant in the inner Hauraki Gulf Wednesday, 4 September "A new beginning - The Auckland Regional Plan Pest Management Strategy"; Lance Vervoort Saturday, 21 September Umupuia/Duders Regional Park, South Auckland Saturday, 2 October Lucy Cranwell Lecture - Easter Island: Its Botanical History, Professor John Flenley Saturday 19 October Hamiltons Road, Awhitu Peninsula Further information available from Sandra Jones, Hon. Sec. on (09) 817-6102 (evenings) Helen Cogle, 30 Daffodil St., Titirangi, Waitakere City • Canterbury Botanical Society Our programme to commemorate the work of Etienne Louis Raoul at Akaroa in 1840 (refer to Newsletter No.43, p.15-16) opened with a field trip to Hinewai where Hugh Wilson led us on to Stony Bay Peak. This mountain forms a back-drop to Akaroa and it can be expected that Raoul would have collected there. Among the plants seen were several which were named by Raoul in 1844 or 1846. At our April meeting Margaret Bulfin and Warwick Harris introduced Raoul - the man and his botany. We are privileged to have enjoyed a lively and forthright talk by Margaret so close to her untimely death on 3rd May. This month the southern Port Hills were the scene of a lichen workshop led by David Galloway who came up from Millers Flat for the occasion. The workshop concluded in a University laboratory examining our specimens from a rich flora of crustose, fruticose, and foliose species. One of our more experienced members agreed to compile a list of lichens found. We are glad to welcome to Canterbury Anthony Wright, who shared his knowledge of this plant group. Beech forest ecology was discussed by Udo Benecke in February and by Glenn Stewart in May. Udo presented a case for sustainable use of west coast beech forests by selective logging of coupes 0.1 ha in area, and leaving 20% of the forest untouched. Glenn stressed that it is premature to set up selective logging practices until more facts are known of the whole forest system, eg. different responses of red and silver beech; one third of the forest biomass (carbon content) is stored in dead wood, standing and fallen; and 40% of the nitrogen is fixed by lichens. Students' grants were made to Anna Campbell, to attend the Australian wheat conference and visit the Queensland Wheat Research Institute; and to Sandra Hammond to assist in thesis preparation on population structure of nikau palm in Palm Gully, Akaroa Harbour, where it is at its southern limit on the east coast of the mainland. Forthcoming is the AGM on 8 June when the Bledisloe Trophy will be presented to Ross and Yvonne Elder in recognition of their long and active participation in the Society. Also Annie Acton-Adams will take an illustrated mountain flower trek in the European Alps. Bryony Macmillan, Canterbury Botanical Society, P O Box 8212, Christchurch Footnote: It is with sadness we note that Margaret Bulfin, well known and respected botanist, formerly on the staff of Botany Division, D.S.I.R., died on the 3rd May 1996, after a brief illness. Editors 3 • Nelson Botanical Society March field trip- Pearse Resurgence At first, native vegetation was limited but masses of Blechnum vulcanicum adorned rock faces along the track and Corybas macranthus was found on some of the moister faces. Further along limestone occurred, with Asplenium trichomanes, Adiantum cunninghamii, Sophora microphylla var. longicarinata and Brachyglottis hectori. Later on in forest we observed, both pepperwood (Pseudowintera colorata) and horopito (P. axillaris) with a wide range of filmy ferns, also Leptopteris hymenophylloides, L. superba and the hybrid L. x intermedia. The giant moss Dawsonia superba was also noted. During lunch stop a pair of blue ducks kept everybody fascinated, particularly by their lack of concern at having a group of botanical-minded admirers. By the end of the day 167 plant species had been recorded. Easter Camp Friday we headed up the Ngakawau Gorge on the Charming Creek walkway. The early part of the walkway was flanked by problem plants, the most conspicuous was the sweet scented ginger. Native species included southern rata, Coprosma grandifolia, tutu and tree ferns such as Cyathea medullaris and Dicksonia squarrosa. The main debate was on the differences between broadleaf and puka that had to be resolved in the evening. The shrubland and the gorge soon closed and steep wet rocky banks flanked the track with Olearia cheesemanii, Hebe gracillima, Celmisia monroi var. morganii quite common. After we crossed the main river the vegetation changed, along with the geology to beech forest with silver, pink and bog pines. Ferns here included Hymenophyllum ferrugineum, Schizaea australis and Dicksonia lanata. One distant voice debated: it can't be cissy it doesn't have a petticoat; a reference to the pale underside of Rubus schmidelioides compared to R. cissoides. Saturday morning was easy walk along Nile River terraces. Vegetation was dominated by kamahi, silver beech, southern rata and abundant Cyathea smithii or Dicksonia squarrosa. The trees contained an abundance of epiphytes including huge plants of Dendrobium cunninghamii and a profusion of Earina autumnalis. Other plants of note were Hymenophyllum ferrugineum, Jovellana repens and Pseudopanax macintyrei and the odd Ascarina lucida and huge Pseudopanax edgerleyi. Later in the afternoon we visited Tauranga Point to see a coastal turf dominated by plants such as Leptinella dioica, Nertera depressa and Centella uniflora. On the cliffs Blechnum banksii, Asplenium banksii, Peperomia urvilleana, red fruited Einadia triandra and the tiny orchid, Bulbophyllum pygmaeum were noted and at one point Fatsia japonica was seen. Sunday we drove to within half a kilometre of the top of Mt Augusta on the Stockton coalfield and took most of the rest of the day to get there. The vegetation was a mosaic of wetlands dominated by Chionochloa juncea, scrappy Coprosma grandifolia, stunted kanuka, Epacris alpina, yellow silver pine hybrids and pockets of silver beech, alpine toatoa, bog pine and rata shrublands.