Carsk. — Flora of the Mauku District. 305 



Metrosideros robiista, Coprosma arborea, Panax arboreum, 

 Olearia cunning haviii, Olea lanceolata, &c. Many of the 

 forest trees are festooned by such vines and climbing-plants as 

 Metrosideros florida (whose gorgeous scarlet flowers lend 

 colour to the bush from February to May), M. scandens, 

 M. hyperici folia, Parsonsia albi flora and P. rosea, the supple- 

 jack vine (Rliipogonum scandens), the bush-lawyer (Rubies), 

 and Passiflora ktrandra, which grows with great luxuriance 

 in this district. 



The undergrowth consists mainly in many places of 

 Coprosma areolata intermixed with other Goprosmas, Melicope 

 simplex, Melicytus micranthus, Myrtus bullata, Geniostoma 

 ligustrtfolia, and Pennantia corymbosa. 



Of plants growing as epiphytes those most frequently met 

 with are various species of Astelia, among which grow Pitto- 

 spornm cornifolium and the beautiful Senecio kirkii, with its 

 large daisy-like flowers. Griselinia lucida, with its large 

 shining leaves, is a conspicuous feature on many of the 

 forest trees. The trunks and branches of the trees are more 

 or less clothed with a luxuriant growth of smaller orchids, 

 ferns, lycopods, and mosses. 



In many places in the more shady parts of the bush the 

 ground is fairly carpeted with Hydrocotyle dissecta, Galium 

 umbrosum, Dichondra repens, Gorysanthes macrantha, G. tri- 

 loba, Oplismenus undidatifolius , and other plants. Pterostylis 

 banksii is plentiful, P. trullifolia not uncommon, while P. 

 graminea is rare. The lower parts of the trunks of trees and 

 rocks are frequently clothed with a luxuriant growth of Pepe- 

 romia endlicheri. Acianthus sinclairii is fairly plentiful, and in 

 damp spots Gorysanthes oblonga and Chiloglottis comuta are 

 frequently met with. 



Among Leptospermum scrub, near the edge of the bush, 

 Clematis indivisa, the only species of this genus I have found 

 in the district, is not uncommon. Here also are to be found 

 Gaultheria antipoda, Luzula campestris, Caladema minor, 

 Lycopodium vohebile, L. densum, and only one solitary speci- 

 men of the usually plentiful Adiantum hispidulum, while A. 

 (Zthiopicum and A. ajflne are not uncommon. 



In nearly every piece of bush Lomaria discolor is plenti- 

 fully distributed, and the graceful Pteris macilenta is a con- 

 spicuous feature. Large masses of the beautifully slender 

 Hypolepis distans are of frequent occurrence. 



The Bald Hills are well worth a visit. They consist of a 

 group of several rounded hills within a couple of miles of 

 Mauku. The summits of these hills are almost bare of vege- 

 tation, save a slight growth of native and introduced grasses, 

 with here and there clumps of Pteris. Approaching the Bald 

 Hills from the Mauku-Waiuku Eoad we first pass Titi Hill, 



