346 Transactions. — Botany. 



Pteris, Laptospermum, Dracophylluvi nrvilleamivi, Leucopogon, 

 Cassinia, Pimelea prostrata, &c. Broad and shallow gullies 

 were numerous, usually filled with Cladium teretifoUum, 

 amongst which Drosera hinata was more than ordinarily 

 abundant. From the trig. -station on the summit we struck 

 southwards to the coast towards Herekino. The only plant 

 of interest noticed during the descent to the beach was Veronica 

 diosmcefolia, which occupied the greater portion of a small 

 gully, forming little rounded bushes 4ft. or 5ft. in height. I 

 was informed that twenty years ago it was plentiful in many 

 of the open gullies of the headland, but that of late years it has 

 been largely destroyed by fires and cattle. The tide being 

 favourable, we returned to Ahipara by the beach. All round 

 the headland the hard igneous rocks crop out about high- water 

 mark or a little above it, jutting out seawards to a consider- 

 able distance, and thus forming a succession of long reefs. On 

 the top of the igneous rocks are low and rounded consolidated 

 sandhills, which form the coast-line proper. They are mainly 

 covered with Cassinia, mixed with Phormium, Arunclo, Pteris, 

 and Leptospermum. At the base of the sandhills water oozes 

 out freely, forming a narrow belt of moist or swampy ground 

 just above high-water mark. Selliera, Crantzia, Scirpus cer- 

 mms, and Ranuncuhis acaulis were plentiful in one or two 

 places, in company with Myriop)hyll'umpedunciilatum. A little 

 further back Mazus pumilio and Gratiola sexdentata occurred 

 in profusion, usually mixed with Mentha cunyiinghamii. In 

 wetter places Glossostigma and Lemna minor were observed. 

 In one or two localities Hibiscus diversifolius was noticed, but 

 only in small quantity. It has not been previously recorded 

 from the south of Parengarenga, but it is quite possible that it 

 may be found in other stations on the coast-line towards 

 Herekino and Whangape. Eounding the extreme point 

 of the headland the igneous rocks gradually rose, at last 

 forming low cliffs covered with immense masses of Cladium 

 sinclairii, below which Lobelia, Samolus, and Scirptis riparius 

 were most abundant. A few plants of Ipomcea palmata were 

 seen, but, generally speaking, the clifTs were much too wet to 

 form a suitable habitat for this fine plant. 



I was much interested at seeing in Mr. Reid's garden two 

 young plants of a Cordyline, apparently closely allied to the 

 C. terminalis of my list of Kermadec Island plants. * On 

 inquiry, I learned that one of the plants, with two others, 

 were found on the hillside almost immediately behind Mr. 

 Eeid's house, at an elevation of about 150ft., and not more 

 than a quarter of a mile from the sea. They were growing 

 amongst dwarf Leptospermum and Coprosma. The second 



* Trans. N. Z. Inst., xx., 174. 



