Oliver. — Vegetation of the Kermadec Islands. 129 



aceous, with the margins recurved or more or less rolled. Leaves of young 

 shoot, 70 X 34 mm., 73 x 34 mm. Li exposed places on the east coast of 

 Sunday Island the leaves were usually much rolled, the two parts of the upper 

 surface sometimes touching underneath. 



Poa polyphylla forms small tussocks of fine, drooping foliage, with 

 abundant small, moderately dense, drooping panicles projecting beyond 

 the foliage. Leaves narrow, 12-20 cm. long, 1-5-2 mm. broad, coriaceous, 

 scabrid on the margins and keel. Culms crowded, length to end of panicle 

 + 35 cm. 



Samolus repens stricta is a small subshrub with usually few erect branch- 

 ing stems 20-30 cm. high, bearing near their extremities small axillary 

 white or pinkish flower's. Leaves small, 10 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, cori- 

 aceous, obovate, ending in small points. 



Where a lava cliff forms the coast-line, as at the north end of Denham Bay, 

 the plants occur in crevices or on ledges of the clifE-face. In such situations 

 are found Asplenium obtusatum, Samolus repens stricta, Mesembryanthemum 

 australe, Poa polyphylla, Coprosma petiolata, and Lobelia anceps. 



On the north coast of Sunday Island, where the cliffs are of a loose 

 material, and fragments are continually falling, a heap of rocks and rubble 

 is formed at the foot. Here occur Asplenium obtusatum, Mesembryan- 

 themum australe, Lobelia anceps, and Samolus repens stricta ; while at 

 Rayner Point Parietaria debilis, Apimn prostratum, Tetragonia expansa, 

 Rhagodia nutans, and Mesembryanthemum australe are most abundant, with 

 a few plants of Calystegia Soldanella and Mariscus ustulatus. On slopes of 

 tuff at the base of Fleetwood Bluff and the Terraces Sccevola gracilis, 

 Ipomosa pes caprcB, and Imperata Cheesemani occur, also Coprosma petiolata 

 and small prostrate shrubs of Myoporum Icetum. 



The coastal rocks on Meyer Island are particularly bare and exposed. 

 Two or three species of lichen are abundant, and in crevices and lodgment- 

 places for small quantities of soil the following plants are found : Mesem- 

 bryanthemum australe, Scirpus nodosus, Asplenium obtusatum, Coprosma 

 petiolata, Mariscus ustulatus, Tetragonia expansa. 



Napier Islet is a mere rock rising 60 m. above sea-level. Here and 

 there a crevice contains a little soil, and a few ledges on the western slope 

 support some stunted straggling trees of Metrosideros villosa and Myoporum 

 Icetum. All these little patches of gTound are being continually overturned 

 by burrowing shearwaters and petrels, and consequently are for the most 

 part bare. The winter mutton-bird {(Estrelata neglect a) also occupies a por- 

 tion of the available surface for its nesting-ground. The plants collected 

 were Canavalia obtusifolia, Asplenium obtusatum, Mesembryanthemum australe, 

 Sonchus oleraceus, Rhagodia nutans. Lobelia anceps, Solarium nigrum, Cotula 

 australis, Panicum sanguinale microbachne, and Erigeron canadense. 



On Dayrell Islet Mariscus ustulatus, Asplenium. obtusatum, Mesemhry- 

 anthemum australe, Samolus repens stricta, Rhagodia nutans, Tetragoma 

 expansa, and a few others occur. 



The nearest land to French Rock is Curtis Island, distant 83 km. I 

 therefore considered myself extremely fortunate in being able to land on 

 this rock, the most southern member of the Kermadec Group, for half an 

 hour (14th November, 1908) during the voyage back from Sunday Island. 

 It is a mere rock, exposed in all its parts to the winds carrying salt spray, 

 while during a hurricane the waves probably dash right over it. Mesem- 

 bryanthemum australe was abundant near the summit, forming large green 

 patches visible from the ship at some distance, while Asplenium obtusatum 

 5 — Trans. 



