THE SOUTH TEMPERATE ZONK 



345 



land, as well as many others. Among the latter are various woody 

 Compositae (Olearia, Celmisia, Senecio); a leafless leguminous 

 shrub (Carmichaelia) ; Gaultheria, Pseudopanax, and most gf lik- 

 ing of all the conspicuous Dracaena-like Draco phyllum Travcrsii 

 low tree with bunches of long reddish leaves at the tips of the 

 straggling branches. In spite of the Yucca-like aspect, it is a 

 heath, of the family Epacridaceae, especially developed in Aus- 



; 



Wmm ***** 



*« **•» 



M'- 





mF* 



Fig. 95.— Tussock grass-land (Poa caespitosa), South Island. New Zealand. Photo., 



Mr. W. D. Reid. 



tralia. A second species of flax (Phormium Coloisoi) is common 

 in this district. 



The descent toward the west coast through the magnificent 

 Otira Gorge, is one of the finest pieces of scenery in New Zealand. 

 Luxuriant forest completely covers the precipitous walls of the 

 canyon, and testifies to the heavy rainfall of the western slopes of 



the mountains. 



The beech forest of the higher elevations gradually gives way 



to the typical West-land rain-forest, and there is an increasing 



