Poppet. well. — Plant Covering of the Garvie Mountains. 125 



the plants are from 1 to 1*5 metres high. Farther up on the same spur 

 the association varies between Ver&nica-Cassinia and Cassinia-Veronica, 

 those different genera being dominant in turn, the carpet association being 

 much as before mentioned. 



Gow's Creek. 



The physiognomy of the subalpine scrub near the beech forest here is 

 marked by an uneven surface with great brownish-green patches in parts 

 and a light-grey colour over considerable areas when seen at a distance. 

 Upon closer acquaintance these colours are explained by the presence of 

 Dacrydium BidwiUii. the rounded tops and bright colour of which easily 

 give it first place in physiognomic importance. In other parts Veronica 

 buxifolia in bloom accounts for the lighter shades. The associations 

 which show the different colours above mentioned might be termed the 

 " Dacrydium " and " Veronica " associations respectively. They consist of 

 the same species, but the relative abundance of the different dominant 

 species completely accounts for the changed appearance. The general 

 association is as follows : Veronica buxifolia (abundant), V. propinqua, 

 Dracophyllum longifolium,, Cassinia Vauvilliersii, Dacrydium BidwiUii 

 (dominant over considerable areas), Caladenia bifolia, Blechnum pinna 

 marina, Styphelia Fraseri, GauUheria perplexa, Euphrasia zealandica, Oreo- 

 stylidium subulatum, Pitnelea prostrata, Dracophyllum rosmarinifolium, 

 Wahlenbergia gracilis, and GauUheria depressa. Near a creek Senecio Lyallii 

 showed in yellow patches, with occasional specimens of Veronica Traversii (?).* 

 In places also the following species appeared : Aristotelia fruticosa, Forstera 

 Colensoi, and Senecio revolutus, with occasional specimens of Danthonia 

 Raoulii and Poa Colensoi. until the scrub gave place to tussock meadow. 



East Dome. 



The scrub here is much more closely interwoven than in any of the 

 other places examined. It forms a close association on the edge of the 

 beech forest, and is "very hard to negotiate. The chief species consist of 

 Veronica Traversii (?),* which is plentiful, Olearia avicenniaefolia, 0. nummu- 

 larifolia, Coriaria ruscifolia. Cassinia Vauvilliersii, Dracophyllum longifolium, 

 Phormium tenax, P. Cookianum, Leptospermum scoparium, Pittosporum 

 tenuifolium, Nothopanax Colensoi, Clematis indivisa, Veronica buxifolia, 

 Astelia moutana, and Senecio Haastii. Of these, the Dracophyllum, Pitto- 

 sporum, and Veronica are dominant. 



(3.) Steppe. 



Under this heading I am including those portions of the elevated parts 

 which are covered with tussock meadow. It is impossible to draw a hard- 

 and-fast line between " steppe " and " alpine meadow,'' although the 

 abundance or not of Celmisia makes in these regions a fair test of what 

 constitutes alpine meadow. The land under this head lies between the 

 altitudes of 1,000 ft. and 3,500 ft., although there is necessarily a good deal 

 of overlapping between the different zones, especially as regards Danthonia 

 Raoulii, D. flavescens, and D. crassiuscula. 



The plant associations of these steppes beginning at about 1,000 ft. 

 altitude on the east side of the Garvies has Leptospermum scoparium as its 

 dominant plant. Frequently this is found as a pure formation where it 

 is closed, but where it is open a mixed association is found. This consists 



* Perhaps a form of T\ monticola. 



