270 Transactions. — Botany. 



base of the root 75 mm. This particular root was 70 cm. long, 

 and three other roots of nearly equal length and thickness 

 were given off from the root axis. The main stem is usually 

 very short and stout ; in one case measured it was 1 cm. long 

 and 9 mm. in diameter. From this stem arise radical leaves 

 and trailing stems. The radical leaves are furnished with 

 very thick petioles, 6-5 mm. in length and 4 mm. in diameter. 

 Tiie petioles are pale-pink in colour, especially below, and 

 densely pubescent with short white hairs ; at the base thev 

 are sheathing, and furnished with triangular stipules. The 

 leaf-blade is reniform-orbicular and deeply lobed, rather 

 thick, and on each surface is covered with pubescence, which 

 gives it a somewhat silvery appearance. Cultivated speci- 

 mens, which have originated from self-sown seed in my 

 garden, have the leaves much less succulent than the wild 

 plant, the petioles very much longer, more slender, and with- 

 out a trace of the red colouring. 



Limestone Forest. 

 The limestone cliffs do not form an unbroken precipi- 

 tous wall all round the lagoon, but they are separated 

 by steep banks and hollows, arising probably from weather- 

 ing of the original rock. In such places certain trees grow 

 m association, so as to form small woods. The under- 

 growth of these woods is almost entirely destroyed by the 

 ravages of stock, and possibly the proportion of the species 

 of trees is no longer what it originally was. But what 

 gives special interest to the formation is the presence 

 of Sopiiora chatkamica. Regarding this tree Mr. H. H. 

 Travers wrote (51, p. 178) : " In connection with the 

 recent introduction of the New Zealand pigeon,* I may 

 mention that in a small tract of bush on the margin of the 

 great lagoon I found three trees of the Edwardsia micro- 

 phylla, all growing close together, and being the only spe- 

 cimens of that plant which I saw on either island. They 

 were not in flower or fruit at the time. They were appa- 

 rently all of equal age, and were about 5 in. in diameter and 

 15 ft. in height. Mr. Hunt, to whom I pointed them out, 

 stated that he had never seen the plant before. During my 

 residence at Pitt. Island I was in the habit of examining the 

 coast of the bay in which Mr. Hunt's house is situated twice 

 a day for some months, and on one occasion I saw a sawn 

 plank of totara, and on another a seed of the Edioardsia, 

 which had evidently been washed from New Zealand. The 



* I may point out tbat the pigeon is a distinct species from that 

 of New Zealand (see remarks on this species, Carpopliaga chathamiensis, 

 Rothschild, by Sir W. Buller, in Trans. N.Z. List.., 1892, vol. xxiv., 

 p. 80). 



