368 Transactions. — Botany. 



littorosa, Leptocarpus simplex, Selliera radicans, Apium fili- 

 forme, and Plagianthus divaricatus. On the clay banks of the 

 creek, and extending a considerable distance inland, Olearia 

 furfuracea is very plentiful. On the clay bank also a few 

 plants of Veronica macrocarpa are to be found. 



Lower down the creek, where the channel at high water is 

 about a quarter of a mile wide, is a favourite picnic spot 

 known as " The Bluff." Here cliffs formed of clay rise 40ft. 

 or 50 ft. above the level of the water. A few interesting 

 plants are to be noted here — viz.. Ranunculus acaulis, 

 Samolus repens, Veronica macrocarpa. Here, too, I found 

 two lycopods which I have not seen elsewhere in this dis- 

 trict. One of these is Lycopodium cenmum, the other L. 

 scariosum. The latter, as before noted, has not previously 

 been reported in north New Zealand at an elevation of less 

 than 1,000 ft. 



Still lower down a branch creek strikes off at right angles. 

 Here on a high sloping bank are several interesting plants, 

 the most interesting being a small kauri-tree about 20 ft. 

 high, bearing, when I first visited the spot, well-developed 

 cones. This is certainly a most unexpected spot to find a 

 kauri-tree, for at present, unless I am much mistaken, there is 

 not another tree of this species within ten miles. Long, long 

 ago, no doubt, kauris were pleutiful here, as a considerable 

 amount of gum has been dug in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood. Is it possible that this small tree is a descendant of 

 its prehistoric ancestors which grew on the surrounding 

 Karaka Flat ? If not, how did the seed get to this out-of-the- 

 way spot ? At the foot of this interesting tree is a clump of 

 Phebalium nudum, and under that again a large patch of 

 Gleichenia cunning hamii, the only specimens I have yet seen 

 in this district. Here, also, Goprosma lucida is not un- 

 common. 



Leaving the water-side, we now strike across the Karaka 

 Flat. Frequent tires have destroyed much of the vegetation. 

 Low Leptospermum scrub covers vast areas, except where a 

 few enterprising settlers are rapidly clearing and ploughing. 

 Here and there, on the edges of small gullies and upon 

 hillocks, the monotony of the scene is broken by the presence 

 of Olearia furfuracea, 0. solandri, Leucopogon fasciculatus, 

 Gassinia retorta, and Gyathodes acerosa. Among the low scrub 

 such plants as Sclicenus tend <, Lepidosperma concava, L. 

 australis, Leucopogon fraseri, Epacris pauciflora, and Poma- 

 derris phylicifolia are of common occurrence. Haloragis tetra- 

 gyua, the typical plant, is not uncommon in more or less open 

 spots, and its variety diffusa is everywhere abundant. Large 

 areas, too, are covered with the long trailing stems and 

 graceful fronds of Lycoyodium volubile. In many places, 



