372 Transactions. — Botany. 



with Astelia nervosa* Frequently, too, Pteris incisa is miv 

 with the Asplenium, above the dark-green fronds of which its 

 much paler green leaves rise to a height of 20 cm. or more. 

 Very frequently the Veronica is accompanied with, or indeed 

 it may be entirely replaced by, Muehlenbeckia adpressa asso- 

 ciated with Pteris incisa and Asplenium obtusatum, which the 

 liane binds together into a dense thicket of greenery, above 

 which its ultimate shoots are raised for some 28 cm., at first 

 straight, but finally winding towards their apices. Such a 

 thicket, especially if Veronica be present, is about as tall as a 

 man of medium height. 



(c.) Liane Formation of Freycinetia banksii. 



By far the greater part of the larger island is occupied by 

 a most interesting formation of which the liane Freycinetia 

 banksii is the dominant plant, and it is the existence of this 

 and the above-described Muehlenbeckia formation that makes 

 the Open Bay Islands of special phytogeographical interest. 



This Freycinetia formation forms a " scrub." + 1*9 m. tall, 

 of the most extreme density, the stout shoots, + 12 cm. in 

 circumference, twisted in all directions. Sometimes there is 

 little else than Freycinetia, but frequently the scrub becomes 

 still denser through an admixture of Muehlenbeckia adpressa 

 and Calystegia tuguriorum. 



Between the Freycinetia formation and the cliffs or shore 

 is frequently " Veronica scrub," or in places Pteris incisa. with 

 Phormium tenax growing through it. On the island are also 

 a few plants of Cordyline australis, and one plant of Scheffl-era 

 digitata was noted. I think also that Mr. Roberts told me 

 he had noticed a plant of Metrosideros lucida when making a 

 survey of the island many years ago. 



3. Vegetation of the Smaller Island. 



The most interesting fact regarding the vegetation of the 

 smaller island is that although the principal plant-society is 

 a liane formation, yet it is Muehlenbeckia and not Freycin 

 that is dominant, the latter being, so far as I saw, altogether 

 absent, just as it is on the smaller half of the larger island. 



The island under consideration, as pointed out above, con- 

 sists of a conical hill, and at low water flat rocks extend un- 

 covered for some distance seawards. On these rocks, but just 

 above high-water mark, is Lepidium oleraceum associated with 

 large masses of Tillcea moschata. Asplenium obtusatum is also 

 on these flat rocks, and in some places near the sea is Carex 

 comans. 



* Syn. Astelia grandis, Eook. i. 



