64 ' MR. J. BUCUANAN ON THE BOTANY 



acerosUy Cotivolvulus Soldanellay Eupliorhia glauca, Desmosclicenus 

 spiralis are always preseut. Swampy ground near sand dunes 

 has a few other plants peculiar tliere — Gunnera monoica^ Senecio 

 lautuSy Samoltcs littoralis^ Cotula coronopifolia^ Sellieria radicans, 

 Epilohium alsinoides. 



Continuing up tlie river-flats, tlie vegetation is grassy, with a 

 strip of shruhs on the hanks of the river, and trees and shruhs in 

 the guUeys of the terraces hounding the flats. The grasses col- 

 lected in the different valleys were uniformly the same — Poa Co- 

 lensoiy Poa australiSy DichelacTine crinita^ Triticum scabrum^ Tri- 

 setvm antarcticum^ Agrostis ceiuula^ DantJionia Maoulia^ Dantlionia 

 semiannulariSy Kceleria crisfata, Agrostis : the most of these 

 grasses are found up to an altitude of 3000 feet. ' 



There are a few shrubs of the river-flats of a very local and 

 limited distribution. Senecio Monroi, a beautiful shrub, was 

 found in flower in December; the whole plant is fragrant; it 

 ranges from the sea-level to 4000 feet. J^otospartium Carmi- 

 ehcelicey with its peculiar whipcord-like foliage and masses of pink 

 flowers, is perhaps one of the most show^y shrubs of the country. 

 These two are worthy of attention as garden- plants, and no doubt 

 would become favourites. Then, again, the leafless Clematis, 

 with its tendrilled stems twisting on themselves till they form an 

 upright mass of interlaced cords ; the female plant in seed is very 

 showy. 



The frequent burnings prevent a great variety of shrubs. Cos- • 

 si7iia leptopTiylla^ CarmicTicslia Jlagelliformis^ Leptosperrmivi scopa- 

 riumj and Muldenhechia complexa form the principal. There arc 

 many small plants generally found in open grass-lands, such as 

 Hypericum gramiineum^ Carmichcslia nanay Convolvulus eruheseens, 

 Prasojyhyllum Colensoi. 



After passing up the valley five miles, the ascent of the Kai- 

 kouras is begun by striking up a transverse spur to the mam 

 range. This spur of five miles attains an altitude of 3000 feet as it 

 nears the mountain ; during this distance there are few additional 

 plants found, the country being open and grassy. Celmisia spec- ^ 

 tahilis and Anthericum Hooheri begin, which, further up, occupy 

 nearly the whole ground ; Phormium tenax, Coriaria ritscifolia 

 and Pteris aquilina, the three prevailing plants on scrubby grouuu 

 in the middle island, are common, with Ruhus aiistralis, Aruiido 

 conspicua^ Discaria Toiimafou and Jifuhlenheckia complexa^ forming 

 patches on the ground, Aciphylla squarrosa also too common. 



The main ranffe now reached, called the Looker-on Kaikoura^y 



