TowNSON. — On Vegetation of Westport District. 393 



river, and this condition exists almost continuously through the 

 gorge, only a few cultivations and grass clearings existing between 

 the mouth of the gorge and the Inangahua Junction. Close to 

 the bridge, on the rocks which are only exposed at low water, the 

 little Myriophyllum pedunculatmn forms compact green patches, 

 and near by in a wet paddock Gratiola nana is plentiful, a plant 

 by no means common around Westport. About two miles up- 

 stream, in some low bush composed of Aristotdia raceniosa, 

 Hedycarya arborea, and Melicytus ramiflorus, is one of the best 

 ferning-grounds which I know of. In that restricted area I have 

 collected Pteris tremula and P. macilenta, Pellcea falcata and 

 P. rotundifolia, Asplenium umhrosum, Lomaria memhranacea and 

 L. frazeri, and Aspidium richardi, amongst others. Doubtless 

 the spores of some of these ferns are carried down from the 

 back country when the river is in flood, and, finding a con- 

 genial soil, have now become permanently established. Coprosma 

 rugosa, a new species, closely allied to C. acerosa, grows on the 

 banks near the first falls, and attains a height of 12 ft. or more. 

 Just above the falls there is an island of some extent, covered 

 for the most part with low bush, and under its shelter I found 

 my first specimens of Australina pusilla, growing amongst the 

 moss, and here and there a bush swathed with Clematis foetida, 

 a plant very uncommon about Westport. An introduced plant, 

 Lysimachia numniularia, or money- wort, covers some swampy 

 ground bordering the bush, and Mr. Cheeseman considers it to 

 be its first appearance in New Zealand. Carex ternaria and 

 Carex comans are common on the sandy beaches, and Poa colensoi 

 var. intermedia and the graceful Poa anceps droop gracefully from 

 the overhanging rocks. On the more marshy ground, and some- 

 times in the slowly running water, Isotoma fluriatilis is seen, and 

 is quite common in similar situations around Westport. 



At the Blackwater I found the delicate Adiantuni wthiopicum 

 growing amongst the rocks in the river-bed, and on the sandy 

 banks Claytonia australasica seemed quite robust almost at sea- 

 level, although the last time that I had seen it was at an altitude 

 of 4,000 ft. on Mount Mantell. Senecio hectori, with its corymbs 

 of beautiful white flowers and showy foliage, Carpodetus ser- 

 ratus, Pennantia corymbosa, with Schefflera digitata and Hoheria 

 populnea, give variety to the river-banks, whilst the scarlet 

 blooms of Metrosideros florida and Elytranthe tetrapetala provided 

 the requisite touch of colour. Under the limestone cliffs near 

 the Junction I found quantities of both Pellcea rotundifolia and 

 P. falcata, and amongst the rocks in the river-bed Adiantum 

 oethiopicum was growing in nearly every crevice. I was sorry to 

 see that the country around the Junction was overrun with 

 blackberry, and I noticed that it had taken complete possession 



