PoppELWBLL. — Plant-covering of Breaksea Islands. 249 



Breaksea Island, or Whareotepuaitaha. 



This island stands farthest out of the group, and consequently is in a 

 much more exposed position. From a little distance it presents a remarkably 

 grey uniform appearance, the tops of the trees being as close as possible 

 and seeming as though trimmed- Upon landing on the north-west side 

 the same shore association is met with as is mentioned above ; but when 

 the low forest is entered it is at once seen that much less undergrowth is 

 visible, except along the north side, where it is somewhat sheltered. There 

 a pure association of Stilbocarpa Lyallii is visible as far as the eye can reach 

 among the weird and gnarled trunks of Olearia angustifoUa and 0. Colensoi, 

 which practically make up the shrubby vegetation of this island. Here and 

 there near the shore Veronica elliptica pushes out its green head. Poa Astoni 

 and Crassula moschata grow on the rocks. In a damp place Carex trifida 

 was growing with a patch or two of Asplenium obtusatum and Blechnnm 

 durum. Towards the weather side of the island practically no undergrowth 

 is found. Very few young plants are seen. Some j^oung Olearia Colensoi 

 plants, however, caught my attention on account of the great size of the 

 leaves, which by actual measurement were 28-5 cm. long by 14 cm. wide. 

 The above length included the petiole, which measured 2-5 cm. 



Here and there among the scrub are some odd plants of Poa foliosa. 

 In open places Tetragonia trigyna is common. In parts of this island, and 

 especially on the south side, the interior of the scrub presented the most 

 extraordinary sight I have ever seen. The trunks of Olearia angustifoUa were 

 about 90 cm. in diameter at the base, gnarled and bent by the storms in an 

 extraordinary manner. The bark was polished white, and in places was 

 furrowed to a depth of 5 cm., presenting as weird a sight as possible. The 

 ultimate branches turned upwards and closely roofed in the whole plant. 

 Where exposed to the wind, in many cases it was stunted to a height of less 

 than 1 m. On the north side of the island the trunks were fairly straight 

 and the shrubs much higher. 



On this side also I noted several specimens of 0. Traillii, a plant that 

 has, so far as is at present known, a distribution almost as restricted as any 

 in our flora. The specimens seen by me in their general appearance differed 

 little from 0. angustifoUa and 0. Colensoi, among which they grew, but upon 

 closer examination at once showed the difierence in foliage and flower. From 

 the situation in which this species grows, and from its intermediate character- 

 istics, I am inclined to think that 0. Traillii may yet prove to be a hybrid 

 between the other two olearias above named. Of course, careful experi- 

 ments in artificial pollination only can prove whether this theory is correct, 

 and I merely mention the matter for the purpose of drawing attention to 

 the intermediate characteristics of this species. 



(1.) Rocks and Cliffs. 



On this island there is a special clifi association on the southern side. 

 Here the clifis are sheer down for about 50 m., and the worn and weather- 

 beaten rocks are very noticeable. The Messrs. Hansen Brothers, who have 

 sailed in these waters for many years, inform me that during southerly 

 weather the waves strike these cliffs and splash right over the top. They 

 were under the impression that there was a " blowhole " in the island, but 

 upon examination of the spot with myself it was discovered to be only a 

 sheer-down cliff which in one part slightly overhung. 



Some idea of the force of the waves in this place may be gathered from 

 the fact that bits of sawn timber were seen by us right on the top of the 



