Aston. — Raised Beaches of Cape Turahirae. 211 



erectum D. Petrie, Deyeuxia Forsteri Kuntk., Poa anceps Forst., P. caespi- 

 tosa, Forst., Myoporum and Coprosma Baueri Endl. shrubs (occasionally), 

 Australina pusilla Gaud., Adiantum affine Willd., and the naturalized 

 Picris echioides Linn., Nasturtium officinale R. Br., Myosotis palustris Linn. 

 Parts of this rockery may not be so wet, and may then contain Lepto- 

 spermum scoparium Forst., L. ericoides A. Rich., Coprosma rhamnoides 

 A. Cunn., G. robusta Raoul, C. parviflora Hook, f., Pimelea laevigata Gaertn., 

 Olearia Cunninghamii Hook, f., and a sward of introduced Medicago lu- 

 pulina Linn., and Hypochaeris radicata Linn., and some Caucalis nodosa 

 Scop., Cnicus lanceolatus Willd., Rosa rubiginosa Linn, occurs. 



This boulder terrace occupies a width of from 50 to 150 yards, and at 

 the further side of it an abrupt rise consisting of shingle is encountered. This 

 is beach No. 2, and growing on it is often a sward of naturalized Rumex 

 acetosella Linn., Lolium perenne Linn., Festuca myuros Linn., Hordeum 

 murinum Linn., and Erodium cicutarium L'Herit., or a thicket of Silybum 

 Marianum Gaertn. ; while the native plants present are Muehlenbeckia com- 

 plexa Meissn., Aciphylla squarrosa Forst., Hymenanthera crassifolia Hook f., 

 Bulbinella Hookeri Benth., Plagianthus divaricatus Forst., Olearia Solandri 

 Hook f., Coprosma propinqua A. Cunn. At the Orongorongo River, where 

 the beach is composed of coarse sand, it is almost covered in parts with 

 the beautiful silvery Raoulia australis Hook f., with Zoysia pungens Willd. 

 growing through it. Near Mukumuku Stream this plant covers a sandhill 

 some 30 ft. high, which can easily be- picked out by its colour some three 

 miles away. 



Towards the. north-east end of these beaches, on the landward side, 

 just above No. 2 beach, are two ponds. The vegetation surrounding and 

 growing in the larger of these presents considerable contrasts. On the 

 dry shingle of the beach characteristic rounded clumps of Muehlenbeckia 

 complexa Meissn. dominate that position. In wet ground, nearer the pond, 

 Mariscus ustulatus Clarke abounds. Nearer still is Eleocharis acuta R. Br. 

 and plants of Rumex crispus Linn. (natd.). The entire margin of the 

 pond is fringed with a yellow Conferva, and the whole of the pond itself 

 is filled with a dense dark-red growth of Myriophyllum elatinoides Gaud, 

 and a little Potamogeton Cheesemanii Bennett. The landward shore of 

 the pond is covered by Eleocharis and Typha angustifolia Linn., with 

 some Lep'ocarpus simplex A. Rich., Scirpus lacustris Linn., Juncus effusus 

 Linn., Cladium jun:eum R. Br., Phormium tenax Forst., Car ex ternaria 

 Forst., Calystegia tuguriorum R. Br. The naturalized Nasturtium officinale 

 R. Br. and Myosotis palustris Lam. also occur»in considerable quantity. 

 In the dry boulder -bank or in boggy p'aces above are to be found the rare 

 Sebaea ova'.a R. Br. (a yellow-flowered gentianous plant now for the first 

 time recorded from Wellington Province), Poten'illa anserina Linn., Pelar- 

 gonium a\istrale Jacq., Geranium molle Linn., Hydrocotyle asialica L : nn., 

 Vittadinia •australis A. Rich., Gnaphalium collin'xm Libill., Craspedia 

 uniflora Forst., Festuca multin)dis Hack., Microtis parvifolia R. Br., Linum 

 monjgyn \tm Forst., Epilobium Billardieranum Ser., Ranunculus hirtus 

 Banks & Sol., Samolus repens Pers., Galium umbrosum Sol., Euphrasia 

 cuneata Forst., Haloragis alata Jacq., H. depressa Walp., Lagenophora 

 pumila Cheesm., Ranunculus rivularis Banks & Sol., Dichelachne crinita 

 Hook, f., and the naturalized Silene gallica Linn., Briza maxima Linn., 

 Cyperus vegetus Willd., Vicia sp. Near Orongorongo Stream Eryngium 

 vesiculosum Labill. occurs plentifully above the beach. In the centre of 

 the stony plain, clustering round the monoliths on the upper edge of beach 



