Carse. — Flora of the Mangonui County. 199 



nervosa, and the large sedges Gahnia xanthocorpa and G. setifoUa, which, 

 owing to the sharply serrated edges of their leaves, form a somewhat for- 

 midable barrier. The ferns Dicksonia lanata, Gleichenia Cunninghaniii^ 

 Lomaria minor, and the curious Schizaea dichotoma also occur. A very con- 

 spicuous plant in the kauri forest is Metrosideros albiflora, whose large glossy 

 leaves and racemes of pure-white flowers make it a plant well worthy of a 

 place in our wild gardens. 



The Kahihatea Bush. 



The kahikatea, or white-pine, is usually found in colonies in damp, 

 often swampy, land. It occurs in the higher lands, but never in large quanti- 

 ties. In the kahikatea bush the undergrowth is very dense, the greater part 

 being formed of numerous species of Coprosma. Other common plants are 

 mahoe, Hoheria, Plagianthus, Pennantia, kowhai, &c. The native passion- 

 vine {Passiflora tetrandra), Parsonsia heterophylla, and P. capsularis also 

 occur. 



Of the surface-plants, the most common are various forms of sedges 

 {Carex chiefly), Hydrocotyle of various species, and numerous ferns, mosses, 

 and grasses. 



The Moorland. 



The moorland consists of open country, usually of a stiff clay formation, 

 destitute of trees. Much of this land ages ago was covered with kauri forest. 

 Of this we have the evidence of old kauri stumps and roots, and the gum 

 which has for many years given employment to a great number of men. 



Much of this land is covered with tea-tree, usually small, owing partly 

 to frequent fires sweeping over the surface and partly to the poverty of the 

 soil. Among the tea-tree scrub are found several forms of Lycopodium, 

 orchids, and sedges. Larger sedges also cover large areas. 



Conspicuous on many of these moorlands are Pomaderris elliptica 

 (kumarahou), with its beautiful cymes of creamy-yellow flowers ; P. phylicae- 

 folia, a heath-like plant ; Dracophyllum Urvilleanum, ; and of smaller plants, 

 forms of Haloragis. 



In damp and swampy parts of the moorlands are found the dainty 

 bladderworts Utricularia delicatula and JJ. novae-zealandiae, the sundews 

 Drosera binata and D. spathulata, and very rarely the orchid Spiranthes 

 austraUs. 



The Swamp. 



The most noticeable plant of the swamps is undoubtedly the raupo 

 [Typha angustifolia), whose densely clustered pale-green leaves form masses 

 visible for miles. Here, too, on the firmer parts, occurs the useful Phormium 

 tenax, or New Zealand flax, the conversion of which gives employment to 

 so many of our people. Several species of Hydrocotyle are frequent creeping 

 on the surface, as also does Ranunculus rivularis (the whauriki), a small 

 buttercup containing an acrid poison, often fatal to stock. Another con- 

 spicuous swamp-plant is the large willow-herb, Epilobium pallidiflorum. 

 Eound the margin, and often through the swamp, occur large masses of the 

 pink-flowering Polygonum serrulatum, and Sparganiuni antipodum. 



The coast swamps vary somewhat from the inland ones. These are 

 usually formed by the blocking-up of a small creek by the inroads of the 

 sand from the beach. In the maritime swamps of this district are to be 

 found, in addition to most if not all of the inland-swamp plants, Plagianthus 

 divaricatus, Epilobium chionanthum, Hibiscus diver si jolius, Lemna minor, 

 Triglochin striatum, &c., and the ferns Nephrodium unitum and N. Thelypteris. 



