Cheeseman. — On the Flora of the NoiiJi Cape District. 363 



winter and spring and baked as hard as stone in summer. 

 The predominant plant over hundreds of acres was Schoenus 

 tenax, mixed here and there with Pomaclerris edgerleyi, or 

 stunted Leptospermum. But on the northern side, however, 

 and especially to the eastward of Kerr Point, we gathered 

 many interesting plants on the declivities leading to the edge 

 of the cliffs. Among them may be mentioned a new species 

 of Cassinia, with much of the appearance of C. vauvilliersii, 

 but of dwarfer habit. The heads are narrower, containing 

 fewer florets, and the scales among the florets are usually 

 wanting, so that the plant might with perfect propriety be re- 

 ferred to the Ozothammis section of Hclichry&um. A curious 

 prostrate Coprosma with orbicular fleshy leaves and finely- 

 pubescent branches was not uncommon. It is clearly distinct 

 from any described species, but in the absence of flowers and 

 mature fruit it seems hardly advisable to describe it. A puz- 

 zling Haloragis, with the flowers and fruit of H. alata, and with 

 foliage approaching that of H. tetragyna, var. a, was gathered 

 in several places. x\ variety of Geniostoma ligustrifolium, Wiih. 

 leaves less than half the size of the type and exceedingly thick 

 and fleshy, was also observed. At the very edge of the cliffs 

 the slopes were usually covered with Veronica speciosa, 

 which occurs in immense profusion. Except in very sheltered 

 places, it seldom rises more than a couple of feet fi"om the 

 ground, but, as the branches are closely interlaced and spread 

 far and wide just above the ground, a single plant often forms 

 a clump 2 yards or more in diameter. At the time of our visit 

 it was just coming into bloom — two or three weeks later the 

 cliffs would present a charming appearance from the multi- 

 tudes of its crimson flowers. Other plants of interest noticed 

 were Pittosporum p)imeleoides, P. umhellatum, Melicope sim- 

 plex, Panax lessonii, Corohia cotoneaster, Olearia angulata, 

 &c. I was much surprised to find numerous patches of a 

 dwarf variety of Phyllocladus trichomanoides , growing from 

 4ft. to 6ft. in height. Many of the plants were evidently of 

 great age, and were loaded with fruit. In its mode of growth 

 it reminded me of Podocarpus nivalis, so common on the moun- 

 tains of the South Island, or of the stunted specimens of 

 Phyllocladus alpimis sometimes seen at the upper limits of the 

 mountain forests of Nelson and Canterbury. 



The vegetation gradually lost its interesting features as 

 we travelled in an easterly direction. The cliffs became less 

 abrupt, and were principally covered with Phormium and 

 Arundo, with scattered patches of pohutukawa and karaka. 

 The extreme eastern portion, to which the name of the North 

 Gape is usually confined, consists of an island perhaps 150ft. 

 in height separated from the mainland by a narrow channel 

 dry at low water. Bounding this, we skirted the southern 



