370 Transaci ions. I 



Mariscus ustulatus. — Occurs at Gore Bay. It is reported from North 

 Otago by Buchanan, but this requires confirmation. 



Macwpi^Mf excelsum. — Common on the coastal hills to the north, but 

 not on the plains. 



Fittosporum obcordatum. — If Raoul's Akaroa record is correct this dis- 

 appearing species shows remarkable discontinuity of distribution. Only 

 known elsewhere from near Kaitaia. 



Rhopaloslylis sapida. — Does not occur on the coastal hills of North 

 C*anterbury, but is found on the Kaikoura coast as far south at least as 

 Hundalee. 



Rhcujodia nutans. — Not uncommon near the coast at least as far south 

 as Banks Peninsula. 



Spircmthes ausfraUs. — Not known elsewhere on the east coast of this Island. 



Tetrapathaea nustmlis. — I do not know the nearest point where this plant 

 is to be found north of Banks Peninsula, but it does not occur in northern 

 Canterbury, nor, I think, at Kaikoura. 



Zoysia pungens is found on the beaches immediately to the north, and 

 shows no discontinuity of distribution. 



It thus appears that Banks Peninsula is the southern terminus of a 

 large number of northern sjjecies. On the other hand, few if any southern 

 species find here their northern limit ; Olearia fragrantissima is perhaps 

 one. This suggests a southern drift of species ; for, of course, most of the 

 northern i^ecies could live as well on the Otago coast as in Banks Pen- 

 insula. On the west coast, where there has been no such barrier as the long 

 treeless stretch between Banks Peninsula and Timaru, some of these species 

 have drifted much farther south — e.g., Cordylme indivisa, Hedycarya arhorea, 

 and Rhopalostylis sapida. Obviously the frosts of the plains tend to inhibit 

 the occurrence of the more tender species. 



The Relationships of the Banks Peninsula Florula. 



The Forest. — It will be clear from what has been said that the forest 

 of Banks Peninsula is an outlier of Cockayne's North-eastern Botanical 

 District. No. 8 in the map of New Zealand* showing proposed botanical 

 districts. It does not bear any close relationship to the forests of the 

 Canterbury foothills. The nearest hills are those to the north and north- 

 north-west — e.g., Mounts Oxford, Karetu, and Grey. Here all the species 

 finding their southernmost limit on Banks Peninsula are absent, with the 

 exception of Clematis Colensoi and Leucopogon fasciculatum ; and the timber- 

 trees belong chiefly to the genus Nothofagus. It is true that Podocarpus 

 totara is present in places on the foothills in small quantity, and P. spicafus 

 and P. dacrydioides in still smaller quantities, but they are nowhere, as on 

 the peninsula, the dominant species. 



We get, however, to the westward at Mount Peel a mixed podocarp 

 forest in which the above-mentioned species predominate, but it, too, dift"er.s 

 much from the Banks Peninsula forest. This, of course, does not contain 

 the species finding their southernmost limit on Banks Peninsula, but it 

 contains an unusual variety of species, and amongst them several not 

 found on the peninsula, such as Nothopanax simplex, AristoteUa Colensoi, 

 Gaya Lyallii var. ribifoUa, and Hoheria lanceolata. It thus appears that 

 the Banks Peninsula forest must be regarded as an outlier of the Kaikoura 

 coastal forest, which it closely resembles. 



* Tra7is. N.Z. Imt., vol. 49, p. iVS, 1917. 



