360 Transactions. 



of the New Zealand Flora." Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, referring to 

 Gaya lyallii (the type), writes (page 80), " It is partly deciduous 

 at high elevations, but is certainly evergreen in the river-valleys 

 of Westland and Nelson, where it is abundant." In the appendix, 

 however, Cheeseman quotes my contrary assertion, without, how- 

 ever, expressing' any opinion as to its truth or the contrary. 

 The following letter, which I received some time ago from my 

 friend Mr. H. J. Matthews, Chief Government Forester, throws 

 some fresh light upon the subject : — 



" Dunedin. 2nd September, 1905. 

 " Dear Dr. Cockayne. — 



" Defoliation of Gaya lyallii var. ribifolia {Trans., vol. xxxvii). 

 " In reference to your paper on this subject, I have 

 pleasure in confirming your statement as far as I have observed 

 adult trees in the neighbourhood of Mount Torlesse and Mount 

 Cook. Regarding the south-western species. Gaya lyallii. I 

 have recently (April and May last) observed adult specimens 

 at Tapanui. Pomahaka Gorge, Routeburn Valley, Matukituki 

 Valley, and Hunter River, and in every instance they were 

 either leafless or nearly so ; in the latter case, only a few yellow- 

 tinged leaves remained on the extremity of the branches, and 

 these would certainly fall with the first severe frost. At Dunedin 

 there are hundreds of cultivated specimens which are always 

 entirely bare of foliage during the winter. Seedling and young 

 plants, however, without exception, retain their juvenile foliage 

 during the winter. This refers both to wild and cultivated seed- 

 lings. Cuttings struck from the ' old wood ' in all cases lose 

 their foliage annually. The lowest and most easterly habitat 

 of Gaya lyallii known to me is Tapanui. lower valleys of the 

 Blue Mountains and the banks of the Pomahaka River, both 

 about 500 ft. altitude. From an experience of this tree during 

 the last quarter of a century, I believe it is entirely leafless in 

 the adult stage at any situatioii or elevation. — I am, &c., 



" H. J. Matthews." 



Now, from Matthews' s observations and my own. there appears 

 no doubt but that Gaya ribifolia is truly deciduous, especially 

 as it still maintains that character on the Seaward Kaikouras, 

 not being in leaf in the middle of October.* 



On the other hand, so far as Gaya lyalli is concerned, there 

 must remain a faint doubt as to its universal deciduousness 

 until careful observations are recorded from Nelson and the 

 west of the South Island. 



* Cockayne, L. : "Notes on the SubrJpine Scrub of Mount Fyffe 

 (Seaward Kaikouras)": Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxviii, 1906, p. 365. 



