From Thomas Kirk   8 June 1894

June 8. 1894

Victoria Terrace

Wellington

My dear Baron

I enclose herewith specimens of 5 plants which I should feel obliged if you would kindly compare for me & inform me of the results. The Eragrostis appears to be near E. tenella although it does not fully agree; Euphorbia Drummondii is I think correctly named but my specimens are not very good — too scrappy — A Cyperus and what appears to be a Polemoniaceous plant but only a scrap — These two I venture to ask you to return as it quite uncertain whether they will appear again. They were found in ballast supposed to have come from Port Philip¹ or Sydney & with them were found many other plants of interest as Cenia turbinata, Xanthium Strumarium, Setaria imberbis Bowlesia tenera. Bromus arenarius? — branched from the base — our N.Z. plant is always single stemmed — Acicarpha tribuloides and two or three others which I have not yet determined together with a host of common naturalized species. I do not think however that that many of these which we see here for the first time will prove permanent. Xan[t]hium Strumarium only developes a single head of male flowers at the apex of each terminal or lateral spike instead of several as in England.

The ballast must have come from old cultivated land, portions of it contained fragments of mortar, brick &c but the bulk of it was fairly good surface soil.

The Honourable Mr Seddon our premier wishes to have our new Flora illustrated with a coloured plate of each native and naturalized plant The cost would however be tremendous and our unemployed difficulty will absorb all the money that can be raised. — The Minister for Education is pressing the necessity of a new Flora on the Cabinet and it seems probable that something will be done this session.²

Please inform me if any varieties of Solanum aviculare exhibit spreading anthers with you — we have two strongly marked forms. 1. a rather coarse strong growing plant with compact anthers of the usual type, flowers of a dull lurid pale purple — 2. a slender & much smaller plant with deep violet coloured flowers & wide spreading anthers, an attractive plant. I have made repeated search for your S. vescum, without result.

Did I mention that amongst some scraps of Norfolk Island plants collected for me by Miss Gertrude Purchas during a short visit is a solitary specn³ of Corysanthes rivurlaris a most interesting find — most of the other plants were of little interest — a large form of Lobelia anceps — Samolus repens. Gnaphalium luteo-album & the like

In your last⁴ you enquire about Mr Buchanan's plants: his own collection consists of very small specn. mounted in folio volumes but not localized, but in fairly good condition. His memory is quite decayed and as no arrangements have been made for their disposal they will probably become the property of the man with whom he is lodging.⁵ The Herbarium of the Colonial Museum which contains many of his type specimens is in a shocking state, every thing is being devoured by insects. The Museum Staff consists of the Director,⁶ the Secretary who has not the slightest scienfific knowledge and a messenger — with a youth who is I believe paid by the Colonial Secretarys departt.⁷ It is very sad.

I enclose fresh seeds of Metrosideros tomentosa and Pseudopanax ferox. — the young leaves of the latter daily move [through] an arc of from 80° to 85°.

With all kind regards believe me to be

Yours truly

T. Kirk.

If quite convenient would you kindly favour me with specimens of Erigeron conyzoides, E. linifolius & Ageratum conyzoides

Acicarpha tribuloides

Ageratum conyzoides

Bowlesia tenera

Bromus arenarius

Cenia turbinata

conyzoides

Corysanthes rivurlaris

Cyperus

Eragrostis tenella

Erigeron linifolius

Euphorbia Drummondii

Gnaphalium luteo-album

Lobelia anceps

Metrosideros tomentosa

Pseudopanax ferox

Samolus repens

Setaria imberbis

Solanum aviculare

Solanum vescum

Xanthium Strumarium