148 Transactions. 



to make its acquaintance, and even goats keep clear of it, tempting though 

 its young fresh green leaves may look. Underneath the surface is a mass 

 of rotting leaves, damp and evil-smelling. Seedlings of other plants have 

 little chance of growing to any size, being soon smothered by the relentless 

 bufialo-grass. Though thousands of berries yearly fall from the palms 

 {Rhopalostylis Baueri) which the grass has surrounded, there are no young 

 plants, but rotting berries may be found in abundance. 



Over parts of the Terraces one plant seems to flourish in spite of the 

 buffalo-grass. I refer to Ipomoea palmata, whose long stems penetrate the 

 dense matted grass, and, reaching the open air, trail along the surface, 

 bearing leaves and flowers in profusion. 



Certain other plants are found in the formation. Chief among these are 

 young Myo'poruni Icetum and Metrosideros villosa trees, the forerunners of a 

 forest which will ultimately replace the buffalo-grass. 



A few plants of Homolanthus polyandrus, with their vipper leaves much 

 torn by wind, are protected from goats by the very grass which almost 

 smothers them. The leaves are large, and have much purplish-red about 

 them ; laminae 19-5 x 21 cm., 16-5 x 18 cm. ; petioles 21 cm. and 26-5 cm. 

 respectively. 



Spaces more or less clear of buffalo-grass are occupied by such plants 

 as Scirpus nodosus, Ageratum conyzoides, Mariscus ustulatus, Macropiper 

 excelsum major, and Hypolepis tenuijolia. 



On Low Flat buffalo-grass meadow reaches the coast, and, partly 

 covering some sand-dunes, includes such plants as Ipomoea pes caprce, 

 Cenchrus calyculatus, Sccevola gracilis, and Imperata Cheesemani. In places 

 on Low Flat and the crater-iidge Pteridium esculentum replaces buffalo- 

 grass. 



The buffalo-grass {Stenotaphrum glahrum) does not spread into the forest, 

 as want of light effectively stops progress in that direction. Like Ageratum 

 conyzoides, it takes possession of the ground quicker than forest, yet there 

 is little doubt that now, after twenty years' occupation, the grass is being driven 

 back by forest. Young Metrosideros and Myoporum trees are springing up 

 everywhere ; Cordyline terminalis + 2 m. tall, with wind - torn yellow or 

 yellowish-green leaves, is also growing thickly in places. Where these 

 plants, especially Metrosideros, are growing close together the buffalo-grass 

 is dying ; it is, indeed, being killed by the shadow of the trees. 



(c.) Beard-grass (Polypogon) Meadoiv. — Macauley Island, once covered 

 with Myoporum: Icetum and Mariscus ustulatus (see ante, p. 131) is now 

 clothed only with a closely cropped and scanty mantle of grasses. No 

 trace of the original scrub remains. The soil is formed of ashes and scoria 

 resting on pumice. It is exposed to all winds, and consequently, except 

 in wet weather, is usually in a parched state. At the north-east corner of 

 the island, where the ground is a loose scoria, there is no vegetation 

 at all. 



The grass is everywhere closely cropped by the thousands of goats now 

 roaming about the island. Nowhere is it more than a few centimetres 

 in height. Three species were collected : Polypogon monspeliensis (beard- 

 grass) appeared to be most plentiful, though Festuca bromoides and Dan- 

 thonia pilosa were abundant. A few other plants only were noticed among 

 the grass — Oxalis corniculata, Cotula australis, and Wahlenbergia gracilis with 

 peduncles about 10 cm. high. 



