Caese. — Flora of the Jlmiku District. 373 



Perhaps the most interesting plane in the Lower Waikato, 

 or, in fact, in any part of the district, is the dainty little 

 orchid Bulbophyllum tuberculatum. In December, 1900, I 

 discovered large quantities of it in the upper branches of 

 trees that had been felled. It was then in fruit, having 

 flowered evidently in November. While I write — May, 

 1901 — I have this species flowering on an apple-tree. 

 Probably it flowers right through the warm season, and 

 even into the winter. Unfortunately, the plants I dis- 

 covered in 1900 have all been destroyed in the burning of 

 the felled trees, but I think it is probable that the species 

 is plentiful in the upper branches of trees all along the 

 river- side. 



In the swampy bush, which consists chiefly of Podocarpus 

 dacrydioides, Coprosma rotundifolia is not uncommon, and 

 other Copro&mas are plentiful. Plere I found a kauri-tree, its 

 roots being in water nearly all the year round. A few other 

 trees of this species grow on a dry bank not far away. 

 Along the river-bank is the only place in the district where I 

 have seen Calystegia tuguriorum, and here also I found 

 Bidens pilosa quite 6 ft. high, and Potentilla anserina. 

 Ranunculus macropus is common, but owing to its being 

 so frequently submerged does not flower. Carex dipsacea 

 is plentiful along the river-side, and here too I found one 

 solitary plant of C. inversa. 



While speaking of the genus Carex, I would like to refer 

 to a somewhat peculiar form of C. lucida which is not un- 

 common in the Lower Waikato region and in Mauku. Tins 

 form has compound $ spikelets, a rather unusual state, but 

 not so uncommon as was at one time thought. This species 

 frequently has the culms much elongated in fruit. I care- 

 fully measured the culms of a specimen recently, and found 

 it had attained the unusual length of 7 ft. 4-| in. 



And now I must draw my notes to an end. I have, on 

 paper, revisited many of the scenes of interesting botanical 

 discoveries, and trust that these notes may be of some use 

 botanically. 



In the subjoined list will be found the names of 405 

 flowering-plants and ferns observed in this district. The 405 

 species represent seventy-eight natural orders. The largest 

 orders are Filices, with seventy-one species ; Cyperacea, 

 forty-four species ; Orehidece, twenty-two ; Composites, twenty- 

 one ; Rubiacece, eighteen ; and Grammece, seventeen. The 

 largest genera are Coprosma and Carex, with fourteen species 

 each ; Hymenophyllum, with ten species ; Epilobium and Poly- 

 podium, with eight species each; and Sen pus, Cludium, and 

 Lomaria, with seven species each. 



