Cockayne. — Botanical Excursion to Southern Islands. 255 



4. Loivland Tussock. 



This formation I was only able to examine in two locali- 

 ties — namely, near the landing-place on Ewing Island and 

 between the dunes and the rata forest on Enderby Island ; 

 of its distribution on Auckland and Adams Island I know 

 nothing. 



The surface of the ground is very wet peat, in many 

 places being actual swamp. Where this occurs the forma- 

 tion varies as to its members, and Carex to a large extent 

 takes the place of the grass tussock. The tussock which 

 gives the distinguishing character to the formation as a 

 whole is some species of grass which I had no means of 

 identifying. Ecologically it is remarkable for having con- 

 structed large "trunks," on the top of which the grass-plant 

 grows, while its long filiform leaves, which are at first erect, 

 finally arch over and droop downwards on all sides of the 

 "trunk" in great shock-headed masses. Such trunks are 

 more than l-5m. tall, frequently irregular in shape, and 

 consist of decayed and decaying stems, roots, and leaf-bases ; 

 while beneath the green living leaves, which, arching, droop 

 downwards on all sides of the "trunk" to the ground and 

 quite surround it, is a thick layer consisting externally of 

 recently dead leaves, but internally of quite decayed leaves, 

 which surround the " trunk " proper as with a mantle. Such 

 tussocks burn very readily when dry in the summer, according 

 to Captain Bollons, for the most recently dead leaves are 

 frequently quite dry, even when the outside of the tussock 

 is in its normal wet condition. These trunks absorb water 

 like a sponge, and in this manner the living grass above will 

 get a direct water-supply of rain-water, and so be quite inde- 

 pendent of the more or less acid water of the boggy ground 

 or of the actual swamp. Similar "trunks" ai'e a frequent 

 feature of the New Zealand landscape, and are formed by 

 Carex secta. As the ground becomes more swampy Carex 

 trifida appears, taking the place of the tussock-grass. 



Between the tussock and the actual sea- shore is a zone of 

 Poa foliosa. Probably in this formation are included two 

 quite distinct from one another, a grass-tussock and a Carex 

 bog, but the time v^as too limited to do more than take the 

 above brief notes. A very similar formation seems to be 

 present on Enderby Island, but I have no details, except such 

 as are shown in a photograph, from which it is evident that 

 the tussocks there are of great size. All that part of Enderby 

 Island fully exposed to the wind is occupied by a tussock 

 formation. 



5. Pleurophyllum Meadoiu. 



Beyond learning that a certain number of most striking 

 and beautiful herbaceous plants grow in company with one 



