THE MONTANE FLORA OF FIJI. 201 
abundant as usual. Glomera Gibbsie and also Carer  Graefeana and 
C. Gibbsie were found as the moss growth became thicker towards the 
summit, where the moss forest in Copeland's sense prevailed. 
Moss Forest. 
From the beginning of the ridge the lovely Agapetes vitiensis, of myrtle 
habit, the ‘sacred Vuga’ of the Fijians, as it grows on the top of Kuvadra, 
their sacred mountain, dominated. The undergrowth disappeared, the ridge 
being covered with rotting logs piled one on top of the other as they 
fell, soaking with the moss which spreads all over the stunted wind- 
swept trees of the summit, covering them to the uttermost shoots with one 
thick pall.  Callicostella oblongifolia, Trichosteleum samoanum, and £etro- 
pothecium calodictyon were collected. Running thickly through the moss, 
almost obliterating it in places, the fennel-like fronds of Trichomanes meifolium, 
associated with /Tymenophyllum multifidum, draped prostrate logs and the 
stems of the trees, the little hairy tufts of pendent fronds of Polypodium 
Hookeri showing where the two former species were less rampant. Embossed 
amongst the moss-covered logs Cyrtandra vitiensis, with its huge deep-green 
leaves, and Plerandra Victorie were in flower, aud the beautiful Dicksonia 
Brackenridget just showed its head above the rotting substratum. 
Another patch of Moss Forest was seen on Col i Nadarivatu. Here the 
trees were larger, the altitude not being so great (3500 feet), but the almost 
impassable substratum of spongy moss-clothed rottenness, and the thick pall 
over the trunks of the trees prevailed, the exquisite Sp/ridens Balfourianus, 
which forms light green tufts about 2 dm. in length, growing out at right 
angles up the stems of tree ferns, being the dominating type. Microstylis 
vitiensis was here associated with Dendrobium Mohlianum. 
OPEN FORMATIONS. 
The High Forest begins to thin out in the north-western direction on the 
leeward side. "The Nadalla valley, about 5 miles from Nadarivatu, on the 
way to Navai, has all been eleared, and now forms the chief pasturage for 
the capital little mountain ponies Mr. А. Joske breeds so successfully. 
At the head of this valley is the deserted village of Mataculi, the inhabitants 
having been removed to Navai across the range, and this clearing is no doubt 
due to their previous cultivation. In many places damp areas are picked out 
by the Gladiolus-like flowers of Phaius Wallichi?, Lindl. On the drier areas 
Dodonea viscosa, Scevola floribunda, the Vuga, very much dwarfed, and 
the Vure (Geissois ternata), wild lemons, Gahnia vitiensis, and G. aspera, 
with Pteris адийта var. esculenta, abound. Where drier still, as on the 
side of Matai Siga, where recent burning had exposed a section of superposed 
voleanie agglomerate and ash, reaching from the base to the top, it was 
