Si'Eiour, Cockayne, Laing. — Mount Arrdirsmifh District. 361 



Avere : Gaultheriu rupcstris (small erect thick-leaved shrub), Dracoyhyllum 

 Kirhii (small prostrate shrub Avith stiff coriaceous crowded leaves), Heli- 

 chrysum grandiceps (subshrub more or less erect, leaves small, imbricating, 

 silvery, tomentose), Senecio BidwUlii (stiff-branched shrub with very thick 

 leaves tomentose beneath), Coprosma serrulata (shrub creeping beneath the 

 surface and rooting, its leaves moderate-sized and stiff) — the above may 

 be called rock-plants, though all occur elsewhere ; Danthonia flavescens, 

 Ranunculus Lyallii, Anisotome Haastii, A. pilifera, Aciphylla Colensoi var. 

 maxima, Dradophyllwn UrviUeanum var. montanum, Coprosma cuneata, 

 Celmisia Sinclairii, C. coriacea, C. petiolata — all of which are plants of the 

 fell-field. 



(h.) Shingle-slip. 



The most important shingle-slips are those which descend to the valley 

 glaciers, and where alone succession can be accurately investigated, but 

 owing to various causes there was no opportunity for examining such. 



The only shingle-slip studied consisted of rather large stones, and was 

 much more stable than those already described for the steppe climate. 



The earliest plants to occupy the stony ground appear to be Epilo- 

 bium pycnostachyum,X E. melanocaulon (at the lowest altitude), E. glabellum, 

 Muehhnheckia axillaris, Helichrysum bellidioides, Veronica Bidwillii, Senecio 

 lautus var. montanus, Raoulia tenuicaulis — a combination very similar to 

 that of river-bed, since the stability of the slip renders the station very 

 similar. 



Very soon the grass Poa anceps var. makes its appearance, and forms a 

 •deep carpet, quite hiding the stones, and by the great amount of dead 

 matter it produces makes much soil and encourages various fell-field plants 

 to settle down. Shrubs invade the shingle-slip, and capture not only the 

 grass but even the stable stones, and herbaceous plants come in early, 

 especially Hypolepis millefolium., Viola Cunninghamii, and Geranium, micro- 

 phylhim, so that scrub or fell-field, as the case may be, is established. 



(c.) Fell -field. 



* Species, ckc. 



The plants are fairly close, in some places growing into one another. 

 Tussocks of Danthonia flavescens are dotted about, as also clumps of Phor- 

 mium Coohianmn and low rounded green bushes of Veronica suhalpina. 

 Ranunculus Lyallii forms large colonies, its massive rhizomes hardly beloAv 

 the surface, and its great glossy green peltate leaves raised on stout petioles 

 -30 cm. or often more in height. There are tall F wcca-like plants of Aci' 

 phylla Colensoi var. maxima. The following herbaceous plants of consider- 

 able dimensions are common : Celmisia coriacea, Anisotome Haastii, Astelia 

 montana, C. Sinclairii, Polystichum vestitum. The stout low-growing 

 shrubby stift"-leaved Coprosma serrulata, spreading by its underground 

 stems, is abundant. Other plants belonging to the association are Hypo- 

 lepis millefolium, Trisetum Youngii, Hierochloe Fraseri, Poa anceps var., 

 Viola Cunninghamii, Acaena Sanguisorbae var.. Taraxacum glabratum, 

 Senecio scorzoneroides, Coprosma ramulosa, the shrub Carmichaelia grandi- 

 flora (often abundant), Geranium microphyllum, Coriaria angustissima. 



% The only true shingle-slip species ; but shingle-slip plants are virtually confined 

 to mountains with a steppe climate. 



