Petkie. — Account of a Visit to Mount Hector. 297 



folium (var. pedunculate) was a common occupant of bare wet 

 spots. E. alsinoides and E. erectum (mihi) arc also present, 

 but in sparing quantity. At about 4,000 ft. another species, 

 either undescribed or a form of E. gracilipes, becomes abundant 

 in the drier situations, while in wet ones E. erubescens is not 

 uncommon. 



The main plateau is now reached. Its surface is not much 

 diversified, as it consists of low, wide, rounded ridges, with wide, 

 shallow hollows and valleys between. It is everywhere covered 

 by grasses and a varied low vegetation. Danthonia Raoulii 

 and its variety flavescens, which maintain throughout this alpine 

 district their obviously distinct appearance and habit, are the 

 predominant plants. The other grasses have mostly run out, 

 much of the ground being, no doubt, too wet for their support, 

 though the snowy covering that obtains during the colder 

 months helps in determining their absence. Raoulia grandiflora 

 is still plentiful, and Euphrasia revoluta, Ranunculus geraniifolius 

 {varying greatly in size, but mostly very dwarf), Astelia linearis, 

 and Caltha nova-zealandiw become abundant. Carpha alpina 

 reappears in plenty, while a remarkably dwarf form of Fors- 

 tera tenella still struggles for existence. A very slender dwarf 

 Scirpus (no doubt S. aucklandicus, var. subcucullata) forms a 

 short grass-like sward in the wetter spots, and sorry slender 

 tufts of Schcenus pauciflorus occur here and there. The fruits 

 of the latter were all found to be ergotised. Plantago Brownii, 

 varying greatly in size according as its station is sodden or fairly 

 dry, is not uncommon ; while P. uniflora is plentiful in all the 

 wetter hollows. The latter was an interesting find, as the 

 typical form of the species has not been seen since Colenso made 

 his famous journey over the Ruahine Range. 



One of our party went as far as the trig, station that lies 

 some distance back on the plateau, and he brought back speci- 

 mens of Ranunculus insignis, Cotula pyrethrifolia, Coprosma 

 ramulosa (which was observed lower down), Claytonia aus- 

 tralasica, Cardamine hirsuta (var. subcarnosa), Geum parvi- 

 florum, Helichrysum bellidioides, Ourisia ccespitosa, and Poa 

 novce-zealandice. 



One of my chief objects in undertaking this journey was to 

 gain an acquaintance with Helichrysum fasciculatum (Buch.) 

 and H. Loganii (T. Kirk), but I had not the good fortune to 

 come across either. Time did not allow of my examining the 

 steep rocky slopes on the western edge of the plateau, and a 

 number of plants are likely to grow there which our party over- 

 looked, and among them both of the above may well occur. 



A conspicuous feature in the Mount Hector alpine meadow 

 is the scarcity of shrubby plants above the level of the sub- 



