Journal Number 94
February 2005

HISTORICAL REPRINT

Colenso sends Corunastylis nuda & Earina autumnalis to Hooker

"My dear Sir William," William Colenso wrote to Hooker the elder at Kew on 20 July 1841,
" cannot tell you how happy I am in the receipt of your very frank and welcome Letter of Aug
6 and l0th/40. It was a long while in coming hither, and I had almost concluded that the few specimens I had forwarded must have gone to the bottom of the Sea, when yours arrived, dispelled my fears, and assured me of their safety. The valuable parcel of Books too, came to hand last week all in good condition, for which I will not attempt to describe my thankfulness.

Allow me, my dear Sir William, to assure you that every specimen I can possibly lay hands on
- which I may consider as worth your acceptance - shall, with as little delay as possible, be
transmitted to you; I trust thus to endeavour at least to make a step towards the shadow of
a return. I should have answered yours ere this, only I have been waiting, first for some
opportunity direct for England, and, Second for the approaching season, in hope of getting
a few new Orchideae but, on second thoughts I have determined to wait no longer but to send you forthwith what few things I may have by me."

"Since my last, I have been a journey of about 4 weeks to Wangarei Bay & neighbourhood, returning by a circuitous route, via the interior. My primary object was (as it always necessarily must be) to visit the Natives residing in those parts, but I always endeavour to enlarge my acquaintance with the Botany of this interesting Island in those Journies, and so make as much use of such opportunities as possible.

I trust that in the Box now sent you will find something both new and interesting. One new pine and two new orchideae (not to mention several other plants, as far as I am aware, both new and undescribed,) have amply repaid me for any exertion I may have made on that journey. The greater part however of the specimens now forwarded are of plants which are known and described. I have hazarded in some Species, the burdening you with Triplicates, although I cannot say much for their perfectness or beauty. I have gone however regularly through my Herbaria and have sent you such as I had, and hope, my dear Sir William, that they will give you as much pleasure in the receipt as they did me, in the gathering & packing them up for you…."

"28. An orchis, n.sp.,:- this plant I had casually seen in the woods from time to time, but never in flower. Although I had marked the places where it grew, and often visited the plants so marked but only to be disappointed. However, in April last, I found it splendidly in flower, and filling the air with its strong perfume. It is, as you will see, Epiphytical, and to me it seems to have the habit, &c, of Earina mucronata. I send you also, a sp. in acid. From dense forests in the interior."

"84. A n.sp., of Microtis found on the high and barren hills near Wangarei. Differing from
M. Banksii not only in appearance, but in its time of flowering, this coming out in the autumn, that in the spring. This is also smaller and its flowers are beautifully & delicately coloured with crimson and purple; whilst those of M. Banksii are green, or greenish yellow. Its sheathing fistulous scape, too, is not so long as its spike of Inflorescence, while in M. Banksii it is a very great deal longer. The flowers of this n.sp., are often coalesced together, and are not so numerous as in M. Banksii. I subsequently found this, (on returning) on the high table land near Owae. The dry specimens are from the former, those in acid from the latter place."

Colenso had sent Earina autumnalis, already described by Forster in 1786; and Corunastylis nuda,
which JD Hooker described as Prasophyllum nudum in Fl.NZ in 1853, from other Colenso specimens
from "Port Nicholson and Taupo Lake". Microtis banksii was Cunningham's name for M. unifolia - Ed.