120 Transactions. 



Art. XIV. — Notes on the Plant Covering of the Garoie Mountains, with a 



List of Species. 



By D. L. Poppelwell. 



\Rettd before the Otago Institute. 4th August. ]!)]4.] 



General. 



The Garvie Mountains are those which lie on the north side of the Mataura 

 River, and stretch from the East Dome in a north-easterly direction for 

 a distance of about twenty-five miles, where they join the Carrick Range. 

 They have a width of about fifteen miles, and drain to the Waikaia River 

 on the south-east, to the Mataura River on the south-west, and to the Nevis 

 Valley on the north-west. 



So far as I am aware, nothing has been published concerning the plant 

 covering of this range except some mention of species by Dr. Cockayne 

 from specimens sent him by me. The botany of these mountains is of con- 

 siderable importance from a phytogeographical point of view, owing to the 

 area mentioned forming the connecting-link between the wet mountains 

 of the west and the drier east of Otago. Furthermore, this area lies as far 

 inland as is possible in Otago, it being practically equidistant from the 

 east, west, and south coasts — namely, between seventy-five and eighty miles. 



History of Botanical Investigation. 



I first visited the East Dome about five years ago, in March, spending a 

 couple of days there, collecting a number of living plants and taking some 

 notes of the vegetation. 



In February, 1910, I spent two days in the vicinity of the Remarkable 

 Gap, reaching the mountain-tops and noting the plant-growth, upon which 

 occasion I also collected a large number of living plants, many of which I 

 sent to Dr. Cockayne, F.R.S., to whom I also supplied notes of the plant 

 associations. During the Christmas holidays of 1910 I again visited these 

 mountains, accompanied by Messrs. G. Biggar and J. Speden, of Gore, and 

 W. A. Thomson and 0. Davies, of Dunedin. This visit was from the Nevis 

 Valley, and we went right over Mount Tennyson, down the Nokomai Valley 

 and the Mataura River, to East Dome, where we further investigated the 

 plant formations. In all, about four days were occupied in this way, and 

 the information obtained was communicated to Dr. Cockayne and others. 



Lastly, during the Christmas holidays of 1913, in company with Messrs. 

 Biggar, Speden, and Thomson above mentioned, I spent about ten days 

 inspecting the forest in the Upper Waikaia and the mountain flora of the 

 heights in the vicinity, adding considerably to the list of plants previously 

 noted and to my knowledge of the various plant associations, which I now 

 propose to describe. In these investigations I was considerably helped 

 by my companions, all of whom are enthusiastic and skilful collectors, 

 and to whom I am much indebted for assistance given. I would here also 

 like to record my indebtedness to Dr. Cockayne and Mr. D. Petrie for 

 kindly assistance given in identifying doubtful specimens and for useful 

 advice regarding the compilation of these notes. 



