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Köwhai herbarium sheet

Image Köwhai herbarium sheet

TLF ID R2457

This is a herbarium sheet of köwhai ('Sophora tetraptera') collected by botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in New Zealand in 1769 as they accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage to New Zealand aboard the 'Endeavour'. The sheet holds dried köwhai flowers, seeds and foliage, and has a variety of identifying marks.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This asset shows that botanists accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage in 1768 - Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected more than 360 specimens on this voyage.
  • It indicates that botanical specimens can last for a very long time - this one was remounted in 1895, indicated by New Zealand botanist Thomas Kirk’s handwriting on the specimen sheet.
  • It presents an example of a native plant from New Zealand - köwhai is sometimes referred to as the national flower of New Zealand; it has bright yellow flowers, can reach up to 12 metres in height, and grows at altitudes from sea level up to 450 metres; unusually for a native New Zealand tree, it is deciduous, losing its tiny, dull-green leaves each winter.
  • It illustrates that botanical specimens were mounted and kept in collections for research and study - this one was used by Thomas Kirk to assist him in writing his book 'Students’ Flora of New Zealand and the Outlying Islands', published in 1899.
Topics Blogs Botanists

Other details

Contributors
  • Author
  • Person: Joseph Banks
  • Description: Author
  • Person: Daniel Solander
  • Description: Author
  • Contributor
  • Name: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Organization: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Description: Content provider
  • URL: http://www.tepapa.govt.nz
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Person: Joseph Banks
  • Description: Author
  • Person: Daniel Solander
  • Description: Author
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Organization: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Name: British Museum (Natural History)
  • Organization: British Museum (Natural History)
  • Publisher
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organization: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Device independence
  • Hearing independence
Learning Resource Type
  • Image
Rights
  • © Education Services Australia Ltd and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2013, except where indicated under Acknowledgements