- 87 -

A LIST OF THE VASCULAR PLANTS OF MOTU MUKA (HEN AND CHICKENS GROUP).

by G. Jane and R. E. Beever*

INTRODUCTION

Motu Muka is the largest of the seven Maro T i r i Islands (Chickens) and lies about 14 miles east of the Whangarei Heads. The l i s t was compiled when the island was visited by an A. U. F. C. Party in August 1964.

Earlier work on the vegetation of the island includes a number of ecological studies carried out by the club in 1954, and a general study of the botany by Cranwell and Moore (1935). Cranwell and Moore give a plant l i s t for the whole Hen and Chickens Group and this is compared with the present l i s t . Specimens have been lodged in the Auckland Museum herbarium.

In the l i s t the nomenclature follows those of: -

Allan, H. H. (1940)

Cheeseman, T. F. (1925)

Allan, H. H. (1961)

- Adventives - Indigenous Monocotyledons

- Remaining indigenous vascular plants.

THE LIST

PSILOPSIDA Tmesipteris tannensis

LYCOPSIDA Lycopodium varium L. billardieri L. volatile

FILICOPSIDA

DICKSONIACEAE Dicksonia squamosa CYATHEACEAE Cyathea dealbata C, medullaris POLYPODIACEAE Pyrrosia serpens Anarthropteris lanceolata Phymatode8 diversifolium P. scandens DENNSTAEDTIACEAE Hypolepis rugosula

DAVALLIACEAE Arthropteri8 tenella PTERIDACEAE Pteridium aquilinium var. esculentum Pteri8 tremula P. comans ASPLENIACEAE Asplenium lucidum A. obtusatum A. falcatum A. bulbiferum A. flaccidum BLECHNACEAE Doodia media Blechnum filiforme B, lancelatum B. membranaceum DRYOPTERIDACEAE Poly8tichum richardii Ctenitis glabella

ADIANTACEAE Adiantum diaphanum A. hispidulum Cheilanthes distans Pellaea rotundifolia

SPERMATOPSIDA

ANGIOSPERMAE

DICOTYLEDONES

LAURACEAE Beilschmiedia tarairi B, tawa Litsea calicaris MONOMIACEAE Hedycarya arborea RANUNCULACEAE Clematis paniculata C. parviflora PIPERACEAE Macropiper excelsum Peperomia urvilleana CRUCIFERAE Brassica compestris B. oleracea Lepidium bonariense Cardamine debilis VIOLACEAE Melicytus macrophyllus M. ramiflorus Hymenanthera novae — zealandica CRASSULACEAE Tillaea sieberiana DROSERACEAE Drosera auriculata AIZOACEAE Disphyma australe Tetragonia trigyna CARYOPHYLLACEAE Polycarpon tetraphyllum Spergularia marginata Cerastium glomeratum Stellaria parviflora POLYGONACEAE Muehlenbeckia australis M. com lexa Rumex crispus PHYTOLACCACEAE Phytolacca octandra

CHENOPODIACEAE Chenopodium ambiguum

* C. ambrosioides Suadea novae-zealandiae Rhagodia triandra Salicornia australis GERANIACEAE

* Geranium molle Pelargonium inodorum OXALIDACEAE Oxalis corniculata LINACEAE Linum monogynum HALORAGACEAE Haloragi8 erecta E. procumbens «« NYCTAGINACEAE Heimerliodendron brunonianum THYMELACEAE Pimelea prostrata PROTEACEAE Knightia excelsa CORIARIACEAE Coriaria arborea PITTOSPORACEAE Pittosporum tenuifolium P. crassifolium P. umbellatum CUCURBITACEAE Sicyos angulata MYRTACEAE Lepto8permum scoparium L. ericoides Metrosideros excelsa TILIACEAE Entelea arborescens MALVACEAE Hoheria populnea EUPHORBIACEAE

* Euphorbia peplue ROSACEAE Rubus cissoides PAPILIONACEAE Sophora microphylla Carmichaelia aligera

* Trifolium dubium SALICACEAE Salix babylonica MORACEAE Paratropis banksii URTICACEAE Parietaria debilis

- 89 -

CORYNOCARPACEAE Corynocarpus laevigatus RHAMNACEAE Pamaderrie phylicifolia RUTACEAE Melicope ternata MELIACEAE Dysoxylum spectabile ARALIACEAE Meryta sinclairii Schefflera digitata Neopanax arboreum Pseudopanax lessonii UMBELLIFERAE Hydrocotyle americana Apium australe Angelica rosaefolia EPACRIDACEAE Cyathodes fraseri SAPOTACEAE Planchonella novo-zealandica MYRSINACEAE Myrsine australis OLEACEAE Gymnelaea apetala G. cunninghamii LOGANIACEAE Geniostoma ligustrifolium APOCYNACEAE Parsonsia heterophylla P. capsularis RUBIACEAE Coprosma rhamnoides Cm arborea C. australis C, robusta C. macrocarpa C, repens C* lucida COMPOSITAE Bidens pilosa

4 Aster subulatus 4 Erigeron canadensis Olearia albida 0, furfuracea Gnaphalium purpureum G, luteo-album

4 G. involucratum 4 G. collinum Helichrysum glomeratum var. modus Erechtites arguta E. quadridentata

Senecio lautus * Cirsium lanceolatum Brachyglottis repanda

4 Picris hieracioides 4 Sonchus asper 4 S. oleraceus 4 Hypochaeris radicata GENTIANACEAE AE

4 Cerastium glomeratum PRIMULACEAE

4 Anagallis arvensis Samolus repens PLANTAGINACEAE

4 Plant ago major GOODENIACEAE Selliera radicans LOBELIACEAE Lobelia anceps BORAGINACEAE

4 Mysotis sylvantica SOLANACEAE

4 Physalis peruviana 4 Solanum nigrum CONVOLVULACEAE

4 Calystegia soldanella C. sepium Dichondra repens SCROPHULARIACEAE Hebe striata var, striata H. bollonsii H. parviflora var, arborea GESNERIACEAE Rhabdothamnus solandri MYOPORACEAE Myoporum laetum VERBENACEAE Vitex lucens

MONOCOTYLEDONES

PALMAE Rhapalostylis sapida LI LI ACE AE Arthropodium cirrhatum Astelia banksii Collospermum hastatum (col. ) Skotts. Dianella intermedia SMILACACEAE Rhipogonum scandens

- 90 -

AGAVACEAE Cordyline australis Phormium tenax ORCHIDACEAE Earina mucronata Acianthus sinclairii Microtis unifolia Pterostylis banksii P. graminea P. trullifolia var. Alona. Hatch Sarcochilus adversus Thelymitra longifolia CYPERACEAE Mariscus ustuluatus Scirpus cernuus S. nodosus Desmoschoenus spiralis Hook f. Carex vacillans Sold. C. breviculmis

GRAMINACEAE Vulpia bromoides ( L . ) S. F. Gray Dactylis glomerata Arundo conspicua Sporobolus indicus Cynodon dactylon Aira caryophyllea Holcus lanatus Deyeuxia billardieri Stipa teretifolia Microlaena polynoda Paspalum distichum Oplismenus undulatifolius Spinifex hirsutus

* Adventives

COMMENT

Ground cover i s l a c k i n g over much of the i s l a n d and t h i s i s probably due to a number of f a c t o r s which include the occurrence of c a t t l e on the i s l a n d from the turn of the century u n t i l about 1930 (Percy 1956) and extensive burrowing by p e t r e l s (Cranwell and Moore 1935). Furthermore running water i s remarkably r a r e . This l a c k of ground cover accounts f o r the d e f i c i t i n Pteridophytes and Monocotyledons i n the vegetation. (Table 1)

Table 1. A COMPARISON OF THE TWO LISTS

Hen and Chickens (1935) 1875 acres

Motu Muka (1965) 340 acres

Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Monocotyledons Dicotyledons Adventives T o t a l New Records

46 1

54 126 (36) 227

31 0

35 122 (26) 188 22

Many of the adventives are concentrated around the two main camp s i t e s . This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y true of the 6 recent additions (Table 2 ) . The remainder of those not p r e v i o u s l y recorded were scattered but not very abundant.

Table 2. SPECIES NOT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED

Asplenium falcatum Lycopodium varium L. volubile Tme8ipterie tannensis Chenopodium ambiguum

Melicytus macrophyllus Mysotis sylvatica Pittosporum tenuifolium Physalis peruviana Selliera radicans Suaeda novae-zealandiae * C. ambrodioides

* Cirsium lanceolatum Coprosma arborea Drosera auriculata Gymnelaea cunninghamii Hydrocotyle americana

* Trifolium dubium Collo8permum hastatum

* Cynodon dactylon Pterostylus graminea Spinifex hirsutus

Adventives

No mature mangroves are found on the Island and there are at present no s u i t a b l e areas f o r t h e i r growth. However a number of germinated seeds were picked up on one of the southern beaches.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to thank Mrs. P. Hynes f o r adding a number of

species to the l i s t and assistance with i d e n t i f i c a t i o n . Also to Dr R. Cooper f o r advice and the use of the Auckland Museum herbarium.

ALLAN. H. H. 1940. Handbook of the Nat u r a l i s e d F l o r a of New Zealand. N. Z. D. S. I. R. B u l l . 83.

ALLAN. H. H. 1961, F l o r a of New Zealand. V o l . 1. Govt. P r i n t e r .

CHEESEMAN, T. F. 1925. Manual of New Zealand F l o r a . Govt. P r i n t e r .

CRANWELL, L. M. & L. B. MOORE. 1935. Bota n i c a l Notes on the Hen and Chicken Islands. Rec. Auck. I n s t . Mus. 1. p. 301.

PERCY, CA, 1956. A Primary Survey of the vegetation of Maro T i r i I s l a n d . Tane 7. p. 3.

P00K, A. E. 1956. The Coastal Communities of Maro T i r i I s l a n d . Tane 7. p. 7.

REFERENCES

92

REQUEST FOR MATERIAL

Crabs belonging to the family Hymenosomatidae are f a i r l y p l e n t i f u l i n seaweed, rock pools, i n the sand of sheltered beaches or e s t u a r i e s , and i n s i l t or on Zostera f l a t s i n harbours. These small crabs have a f l a t t e n e d carapace which v a r i e s from about 6-11 mm. i n width, and has long t h i n legs (see f i g u r e ) . There are s e v e r a l species. Any specimens would be g r a t e f u l l y received, and should be forwarded, together with a note of the date, place and type of substrate, to Miss M. Gordon, c/o Zoology Department.

Elamena producta - Found i n C o r a l l i n a pools.