Poppelwell. — Botanical Excursion to Bunkers I slain/. 155 



A. obtusatum. Here and there are open patches covered with Hlerochloe 

 redolens mixed with Pteridium esculentum and Histiopteris Incisa, and in other 

 places with Arundo conspicua. On the higher portion of the island the 

 principal " shrub " is Olearia arborescens, which grows to the dimensions of 

 a small tree with a thick trunk and much-branched top. Great patches 

 of Poly pod in hi diversifoKum are common under the scrub. The rock and 

 cliff vegetation consists of the usual Poa Aston i. Crassida moschata, Mi/osotis 

 albida, Cijclophorus serpens, Tetragonia trigyna, and Apium prostratum. 

 I do not propose to further describe in detail the plant-associations, but 

 am appending a list of the plants noted, from which it will be seen that a 

 somewhat varied type of plant finds a home on this isolated piece of soil. 



Conclusion. 

 The list of species shows certain surprises. 1 saw no sign of Olearia 

 Colensoi, so common on many other islands in this locality. Poa foliosa and 

 Senecio Stewartiar. so plentiful on Herekopere, only about a mile distant, 

 were also absent. On the other hand, the presence of Melicytus lanceolatus, 

 Hemitelia Smithii, Weinmaunia racemosa, and the orchids Earina mucro- 

 nata and E. an/ am nails suggest a former forest vegetation, of the destruction 

 of part of which by fire there was some evidence. The total number of 

 species listed is seventy, belonging to fifty-three genera and twenty-eight 

 families. In addition to these, five introduced species were noted. 



LIST OF PLANTS NOTED. 

 PTERIDOPHYTA. 



Cyatheaceae. 

 Hemitelia Smithii (Hook, f.) Hook. 

 Alsophila Colensoi Hook. f. 



PoLYPODIACEAE. 



Polystichum vestitum (Forst. f.) Presl. 

 Asplenium obtusatum Forst, f. 



- scleroprium Homb. & Jacq. 



- lucidum Forst. f. 

 flaceidum Forst. t 



Blechnum capense (L.) Schlecht. 

 Histiopteris incisa (Tlibg.) J. Sm. 

 Pteridium esculentum (Forst. f.) Cockayne. 

 Polypodium diversifolium Willd. 

 Cyclophorus serpens (Forst. f.) C. Chr. 



Lycopodiaceak. 

 Lycopodium fastigiatum R. Br. 



rolubile Forst. f. 

 Billardleri Spring. 



S PEEMO L J H VTA. 

 Gramineae. 

 Hiewchlo' redolens (Forst. f.) R. Br. 

 Arundo conspicua Forst. f. 

 Poa Astoni Petrie. 



— caespitosa Forst. f. 

 imbecilla Forst. f. 



