Aston. — Vegetation of Tarawera Mountains. 307 



tremula, Lomaria cajpensis, Asplenium flaccidum, A. adiantoides, A. lucidum, 

 Polypodmm Billardieri, P. pennigerum, P. serpens, Heniitelia Smithii, Cyathea 

 dealbata, Pellaea rotundijolia. 



Now succeed scoria flats which support a sparse growth, 2 ft. to 6 ft. 

 high, of Coriaria riiscifolia, Pteris esctdenta, Veronica salicijolia var., 

 Olearia furfuracea, Coprosma rohusta, Weimnannia racemosa, Leptospernwm 

 scoparium, while Pimelea laevigata in patches a foot or more in diameter 

 are closely appressed to the pumice-gravel. 



Finally, at 1,550 ft., open stony slopes are reached where the rise is so 

 gentle as to be hardly perceptible. Here the growth of shrubs is still scantier. 

 The Pteris disappears, and the vegetation is Leptospermum ericoides, Coriaria 

 ruscifolia, Veronica salicifolia var., Pimelea patches, and numerous young 

 plants of the naturaUzed Oenothera odorata, evidently seedlings from last 

 year's old plants. From this point to the " mural crown," which can be 

 seen in Plate XXI, fig. 1, the vegetation was not inspected, the journey 

 to the summit being made by a more southerly route, where, by avoid- 

 ing the " mural crown," and by travelling for a while on the edge of the 

 crater, the top of the range is more easily approached (see Plate XIX, 

 fig. 2). On this route, in addition to many of the species already men- 

 tioned, the following were seen up to 1,800 ft. : Shrub — Aristotelia racemosa; 

 giant reed — Arundo conspicua ; herbs — Epilohium nummidarifolium, 

 Raoidia australis, Gnaphalium Inteo-alhum, Wahlenhergia gracilis, Thelymitra 

 sp., Danthonia semiannidaris var., Raoidia glabra, Carex sp., Erechtites 

 scaberida, and naturaUzed plants of Hypochoeris radicata, Sonchus oleraceus, 

 Trifolium repens, T. pratense ; ferns — Pteris esctdenta. 



At 1,800 ft. there were noted a few stunted shrubs of Weinmannia 

 racemosa, Gaultheria oppositijolia, G. antipoda, Leucopogon jascicidatus, 

 L. Fraseri, Dracophyllum subidatum, Muehlenbeckia axillaris, CyatJiodes 

 empetrijolia, Metrosideros robusta, Griselinia littoralis, Dodomiea viscosa, and 

 Lycopodium densmn ; the herbs Raoulia australis and Drosera auricidata ; 

 and the ferns Lomaria penna marina, L. capense, Polypodivm Billardieri. 



On compacted scoria slopes at 3,000 ft. patches of Raoidia tenuicaulis 

 (in flower), R. australis, Danthonia semiannidaris var., and Hypochoeris 

 seedlings were the higher plants, while occasionally in a damper cavity 

 than u.sual a fern would be found, and patches of moss. 



On the summit of the range there is a cap of red scoria, on which the 

 only growth at present is patches of silvery Raoulia australis. 



On account of the Tarawera Mountain-range having been built up by 

 successive outflows of lava, ashes, and mud, and also on account of its isolated 

 position, its flora might be expected to show species which are specially 

 adapted to spreading easily by means of wind and water and birds ; and this 

 we find to be the case. Practically the whole of the plants, found on the 

 mountain are those the seed of which is thus spread. The species having 

 succulent edible fruits — e.g., Coriaria — and therefore which are spread by 

 means of birds, in the number of individuals hold first place on the lower 

 slopes ; while those which have light seeds, or seeds furnished with special 

 structures enabling them to float in the wind, and capable of travelling 

 long distances in the air, are a good second, and on the higher slopes are 

 dominant — e.g., Raoulia and Leptospermum. And this is true of the plants 

 observed by Kirk in 1872, before the eruption in 1886, as well as of those 

 recorded by me in 1913, twenty-seven years afterwards. 



The following are the principal forest-trees of the Rotorua district, 

 which should, of course, be growing on the lower western slopes of Tarawera ; 



