266 Transactions. — Botany. 



Rocky Sea-shore. 



This formation, closely related to the stony shore, con- 

 sists of scattered assemblages of plants living on low and 

 often flat rocks, exposed to sea-spray and subject at times to 

 complete drenching by the waves. The station is eminently 

 xerophytic, but the crevices and hollows often contain a good 

 deal of peaty soil, which easily becomes saturated with water 

 during the frequent showers. The only rock-formation of this 

 character studied was at Te Whakaru. In those places on 

 the rocks where earth had filled up the chinks, crevices, or 

 hollows, is often a fairly dense covering of Grantzia lineata 

 and Samolus repens ; in similar situations are large rounded 

 green patches, 15 cm. in diameter, of Triglochin striatum and 

 a small species of Schcenus, or occasionally Tillcea moschata 

 forms still larger patches. This latter plant has red stems 

 and numerous very small but exceedingly succulent leaves. 



In crevices of the rocks where there is not much soil 

 Senecio radiolatus and a curious species of Senecio with entire 

 leaves and solitary flower-heads grows here and there. This 

 latter may be merely a depauperated form of Senecio lautus. 

 Seedlings of Olearia traversii are not uncommon even on 

 such rocks as are surrounded at high water by the sea. 

 Pratia arenaria, a plant occurring in almost every plant- 

 formation on the island, not excepting Sphagnum bogs, and 

 a few plants of the trailing Ghenopodium triandrum complete 

 the list. 



Maritime G tiffs and Large Bocks. 



Here are included only those lower portions of the coastal 

 cliffs which in many cases, at some time or another, are 

 exposed to the sea-spray, the degree of exposure varying 

 considerably according to the proximity of the rock or cliff 

 to the sea, while often the landward side of many large 

 rocks may never be under the influence of the sea- 

 spray at all. Also here are included certain cliffs situated 

 at a little distance from the sea along lagoons, &c, such 

 as at Lake Waikaua, which, originally actual maritime cliffs, 

 have, since the cutting-off of such lagoons from the sea, 

 become clothed with a modified vegetation. The highest 

 portions of certain cliffs, especially those of the south coast, 

 bear an altogether different vegetation, which in the latter 

 region is in many places closely related to " tableland 

 forest." The maritime cliffs offer two different kinds of 

 stations : that of the more or less solid portions of the 

 rock and that of sand lodged on flat places or ledges, already 

 discussed. 



The plants of the more or less solid rock are such as can, by 

 means of long roots, penetrate the rock through its crevices, 



