42 Transactions. 



cliffortioides forest, which persists on the Mokai-Patea Eidge up to 4,000 ft. 

 The extensive associations of the huge fern Dicksonia lanata recall those 

 of Mount Hauhungatahi, both in the open at 2,000 ft., growing like a 

 Pteris, as Colenso puts it, and under Fagus forest up to 3,700 ft. The 

 almost impenetrable subalpine scrub which occurs on the Tararuas on 

 many exposed ridges is absent from the Ruahine Range, although the 

 individual species of the scrub association are usually present, with the 

 remarkable exceptions of Olearia excorticata and 0. lacunosa. The abrupt, 

 transition from forest to tussock meadow or herb-field would seem to be 

 usual where Fagus cliffortioides is the forest, examples being common on the 

 volcanic plateau. 



Cordyl'ne indivisa occurs in greater abundance on the Ruahine than 

 on the Tararua Range. In portions of the beech forest, beds of Astelia 

 Cunninghamii are a feature of the forest floor at about 2,000 ft. 



Coming to the area above the forest, the entire absence of Ligusticum 

 dissectum, perhaps the most abundant plant of the Tararuas above 4,000 ft., 

 is striking. Two abundant plants of the Ruahine tops are Celmisia incana 

 and Dracophyllum recurvum, neither of which occurs on the Tararua Range 

 to any extent. C. incana is recorded thence only on the authority of 

 Buchanan, and D. recurvum not at all. Dracophyllum subulatum also 

 occurs. Celmisia incana would appear to fill the place which C. hieraci- 

 folia occupies on the Tararua Mountains. This species has not been 

 recorded from the Ruahines, although an abundant alpine plant on the 

 Tararuas. 



On the Mokai-Patea Ridge the abundance of species of Celmisia (C. 

 spectabilis and C. incana) in the tussock meadow is one of the floral 

 sights of the North Island. The mountain-side is conspicuously white 

 with the flowers of these two species when seen from a distance of five 

 miles. 



Other plentiful non-Tararuan constituents of the subalpine flora of the 

 western side are Epacris alpina and Dacrydium laxifolium, while a rarer 

 constituent is Brachycome odorata. The immense Astelia nervoza beds of 

 the Tararuas are not to be found on the Ruahine Range, although the 

 species frequently occurs in the subalpine zone. Something, however, very 

 like the Astelia beds is furnished by the Phormium beds of the Mokai-Patea 

 Ridge, eastern face, at 3,000 ft. elevation. Just below here, at 2,700 ft., 

 some of the shrubby constituents of the 'ower forest flourish in a marvellous 

 manner. Trees 20ft. to 30 ft. high, with trunks 1ft. to 3 ft. in diameter, 

 of Hoheria populnea var. lanceolata, Griselin'a littoralis, and Fuchsia 

 excorticata are seen, while others occur which will considerably increase 

 their range in altitude as given by Cheeseman. 



The extensive shingle-slips of the Ruahine tops are worthy of a more 

 searching examination, but a hasty one revealed a South Island shingle - 

 plant hitherto unrecorded from the North Island in Epilobium pyeno- 

 stachyum. 



The flora of the Kaimanawa branch of the range is, unfortunately, much 

 altered by introduced animals. It is, however, certainly a most promising 

 field for future research, and will probably merit as distinct a treatment in 

 description as do the Tararua or the main Ruahine ranges. 



I am indebted to Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S., Mr. D. Petrie, and Mr. T. F. 

 Cheeseman for much assistance and advice, ungrudgingly given at all 

 times. 



