BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 485 
female flowers. Associated with it in one spot grew 
Athrotaxis selaginoides, which is one of the rarest species. 
À few hundred feet took us to the summit, where a large 
patch of snow greeted our eyes ; but we could obtain no water. 
The whole of the rocks and stones were covered by prostrate 
plants, principally Podocarpus alpina, Microcachrys tetragona? 
and some few other plants which I had before seen. I 
found, however, one entirely new Cruciferous plant of very 
peculiar appearance and habit, (my n. 326*), an Umbellifera 
which I do not think is a Caldasia: it had precisely 
the smell of Carrots, a circumstance observed by me in 
1833, when I first discovered it. I also saw my Gaultheria 
(516), called by Backhouse G. antipoda, but neither in flower 
nor fruit. Grammitis (my n. 1546) is a distinct species, and 
not a var. of G, australis.+ Epilobium] (1066) was abundant. 
A dense mass of clouds, with rain, came on: it was bitterly 
cold; and before I had spent a fourth part of the time I 
Intended in examining this very high point, which must be at 
least 5000 to 5500 feet above the sea, I was compelled, by 
Prudence, to commence my descent. As previously observed, 
the rocks were entirely columnar basalt, certain parts with all 
the columns overturned, and the outer edges of those cliffs, 
Where the columns were erect, have deep chasms between 
_ very prism, which it was unsafe to leap over; as a fall 
Would have been certain death. It was an extraordinary 
. Mountain and a geological puzzle, from the circumstance of 
.. all this basalt seeming to overlay the sandstone rock in hori- 
. "ontal strata of vast thickness. At least, I can hardly believe 
that the sandstone is of more recent formation, from the fact 
that all the water from the top of the mountain, and the 
ridge connected with it, runs out where the sandstone and 
t unite, forming innumerable rills and eascades over the 
Sandstone cliffs. Having used the precaution of marking all 
and safely. Richea pandanifolia is abundant, from the ed; Eo 
M the lake at an elevation of from 1500 to 2000 feet up EM 
_* Oreomyrrhis (Caldasia, Lag.) sessiliflora, H. f. 
t G. depresso, H, f, vid. p.267. À E. glabellum, Font.? var. 
the trees in going up, we made our way down more rapidly — i 
