Cockayne. — Botanical Excursion to SotUhern Islands. 243 



descending roots. Sometimes the rosettes are so close to- 

 gether as to be mixed up with one another, and in such 

 cases the rosette-form is not evident. 



Poa ra.mosissima is, as Hooker pointed out, " a grass of 

 remarkable habit." The long wiry decumbent stems, 1mm. 

 or more in diameter, are often quite naked below, but above 

 are covered with the membranous leaf-sheaths of the pre- 

 ceding year + 4-5 cm. long. Above a great number of leafy 

 branches are given off. The leaves are very numerous ; the 

 leaf-blade + 5 mm. long, + 2 mm. broad, pale-green, flat, soft, 

 and flaccid. 



Urtica aucklandica was not observed by me. According 

 to Hooker it is a rare plant. It is described in the Hand- 

 book as " herbaceous, robust, softly downy all over, except 

 the upper surface of the leaves, where there are a few sting- 

 ing hairs. The leaves are broadly ovate-cordate, coarsely 

 serrate or toothed, rather coriaceous or rigid. Petioles stout, 

 \m. to 1 in. long." 



3. The For est- formations. 

 As in the case of the formations already described, I can 

 make no definite statements as to the limits of the forest. It 

 seems best here, then, to give some details regarding each of 

 the pieces of forest visited by me. There are two very dis- 

 tinct types of forest. The first, and by far the most common, 

 is that in which Metrosideros lucida is the dominant tree. 

 The second, which is extremely local, consists of Olearia 

 lyallii. For the former formation I propose the name " rata 

 forest," and for the latter " Olearia lyallii forest." 



(a.) The Rata Forest. 

 This formation forms a belt of evergreen trees and shrubs 

 extending round a considerable portion of the coast of the 

 various islands, its distribution depending probably upon the 

 nature of the soil, exposure to wind, and altitude of the land. 

 Thus, the rata forest is most luxuriant at the heads of shel- 

 tered inlets, while in places exposed to the full violence of the 

 frequent gales it is altogether wanting, and at a certain alti- 

 tude, averaging possibly 120m., it gives place to formations of 

 scrub or meadow. Where high cliffs form the coast-line the 

 forest is absent, and where there is excessive moisture in the 

 ground a tussock formation may occur side by side with the 

 forest, as in certain parts of Enderby and Ewing Islands. 

 Regarding the distribution of the forest. Chapman states 

 (15, p. 501), "The north coast is almost without wood; this 

 may be due to lack of shelter. The west coast is too steep 

 for trees; so is the external part of the south coast."* I 



* This evidently refers to Adams Island. 



