362 Transactions. 



here and there. A good example is on the north-eastern side of Quail 

 Island. Practically no plant grows in this sort of place except these two 

 ferns." 



(5) The Coastal Scrub. 



The coastal scrub is characterized by such species as Oharia Foisteri, 

 Dodonaea viscosa, and Macropiper excclsum, though any of these may be 

 found inland. Angelica geniculafa also occurs in abundance here, and on 

 the peninsula at any rate is not often found in the interior of the forest. 

 Other common species, which, however, have no claim to be considered 

 distinctly coastal, are Muehlehbeckia complexa, Coprosma rohusta, and C. 

 Cunninghamii (showing much leaf-variation) ; whilst both species of Lepto- 

 spermum frequently come down almost to the water's edge. At one time 

 also there were groves of karaka, w-hich apparently were to be found from 

 Decanter Bay round to Okain's, and possibly faither. On the open flats, 

 as at Birdling's Flat, Muehlenbeckia complexa in rounded clumps, Discaria 

 toumatOH, and Cannichaelia suhulata frequently become prominent features 

 in the landscape ; but, again, these are not distinctively coastal, though 

 occurring near the sea. 



(6) The Tussock-grasslands. 



These were originally found only where the hills were directly exposed 

 to the action of the drying north-west wind, or where they were sheltered 

 from the moist easterlies but met the full strength of the cold south- 

 wester. The easterly winds — the prevailing winds of the peninsula — are 

 much less arid than the north-wester, and less violent and cold than the 

 south-wester ; so they have interfered but little with forest growth. On 

 the other hand, the area of exposure to the north-wester is well defined by 

 the tussock belts of the north-western faces of the peninsula. The examina- 

 tion of such a point as Adderley Head well illustrates this contention. The 

 tussock on the Lyttelton side is often withered, while the herbage on the 

 Port Levy side is C|uite green ; the rainfall on both sides must be the same. 

 Wakaroa Head, the eastern point of Pigeon Bay, equally well if not better 

 proves the same point. Here, no doubt, the rainfall is somewhat higher 

 than at Lyttelton Heads, so that it is well above the minimum required 

 for forest-production ; yet the forest extended along the eastern side of 

 Pigeon Bay only so far as it was sheltered from the direct action of the 

 north-west wind. The projecting end of the point reproduces exactly the 

 vegetation of the northern slopes of Mount Pleasant, even down to the 

 occurrence of the rare Gymnogramme rntaefolia in both situations, and the 

 less rare but still xerophytic Clematis afoliata. Hence we must expect 

 to find tussock-grasslands wherever tlie slopes of the hills are exposed to 

 the full violence of the north-wester. This plant association is therefore 

 to be found from Godley Head to Birdling's Flat. As far as Dyer's Pass 

 there are tussock pastures, with scrub only in the gullies : to the westward 

 there is tussock on the open hillsides and headlands, while somewhat heavier 

 forest at one time existed in the valleys. Owing to the clearing of the 

 " bush,'"' tussock is now found in many places where once there was forest. 

 Natural tussock-grasslands are again to be found on the northern slopes of 

 Mount Herbert and One Tree Hill, on the far side of Lyttelton Harbour, 

 though in the deeper and more sheltered valleys of Purau and Charteris 

 Bay there was forest. Li the latter place it has been removed only during 

 the last ten years. The characteristic herbs of the tussock pasture are 

 Poa caespitosa, Danthonia pilosa, Scleranthus biflorus. Oxalis corniculata, 



