292 Transactions. 



was that normal to the species : Gnaphaliion keriense ; Veronica 

 catarractw ; and Azorella trifoliolata. 



After threading the lower valley or gorge of the Otaki for 

 some eight or nine miles, our way lay up a long, wooded, gently 

 rising ridge that led straight to the alpine meadow. The forest 

 on the lower slopes is essentially a tawa forest, with the usual 

 admixture of rata, rimu, kahikatea, pukatea, kohekohe, horopito 

 or pepper-tree, and shade-loving Coprosmas, chiefly C grandi- 

 jolia in the gullies, and C. lucida, C. robusta, and C. Colensoi 

 at higher levels. The supplejack grew abundantly towards 

 the foot of the slopes, showing how wet the forest land always 

 is at this level. On the higher parts of the ridge beeches became 

 the predominant trees, Fagus fusca and Fagus Menziesii being 

 both abundant. Fagus apiculata, though not observed by me. 

 probably also grows here ; at any rate, it is found in similar 

 stations on the eastern and southern flanks of the range. In 

 the beech forest, species of Panax become fairly plentiful, also 

 Coprosma lucida and Coprosma Colensoi. Small bushes of 

 Griselinia littoralis are not unfrequent, but it nowhere attains 

 the dimensions of a tree. The ground vegetation consisted 

 largely of mosses and ferns, with patches of Astelia nervosa 

 (the shade form of the species), Uncinia australis, and Micro- 

 lo3na avenacea. Enargea marginata hung in considerable abund- 

 ance from the stems of trees and tree-ferns, displaying its pretty 

 white flower-cups and partly ripe fruit, while the beautiful 

 star-like blossoms of Libertia pulchella bespangled the carpet 

 of moss. 



I was greatly interested in the remarkable leaf-variation 

 shown by Drimys axillaris at increasing elevations on this ridge. 

 At the lower levels the leaves had the typical somewhat obtuse 

 tip and subcuneate outline, and the typical dark glossy green 

 tint on the upper surface, with the usual pale glaucous green 

 or greyish tint on the under surface. At increasing heights 

 the leaves became progressively longer, narrower, and more 

 acute, while the colour of the upper surface grew more and more 

 decidedly red, 'and that of the under surface grew more and 

 more decidedly a creamy yellow. At the highest levels at which 

 it was observed the foliage had assumed a form barely dis- 

 tinguishable as regards the coloration of both leaf - surfaces 

 from the species known as Drimys colon/la, so common on the 

 edges of bush land in the lower parts of Otago and Southland. 

 differing only in the longer, narrower, and more pointed leaves 

 and the flat, even margins. Before seeing the series of forms 

 growing on this ridge I was a firm believer in the specific dis- 

 tinctness of Drimys colorata, but the instructive series of leaf- 

 variations here observed has considerably shaken my confidence 



