278 Transactions. 



Art. XXXIII. — Notes of the Botany of the Ruggedy Mountains and the 

 Upper Fresh-water Valley, Stewart Island. 



By D. L. POPPELWELL. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 3rd December, 1912.] 



Plate XI. 



GrENERAL. 



During the Christmaa holidays of 1911, in company with a party of four 

 others, I spent the time from the 28th December, 1911, to the 2nd January, 

 1912, under canvas near the mouth of the Ruggedy River, in the north- 

 west of Stewart Island, with a view to examining the flora of that region, 

 which had not, so far as I can ascertain, until then been botanically ex- 

 plored. Subsequently, in company with Mr. R. Fisher and Mr. J. Bragg, 

 1 walked from the head of Paterson's Inlet to the northern portion of the 

 Ruggedy Mountains and back again, noting the botany of the upper por- 

 tion of the Fresh- water Valley. This latter journey occupied two days — 

 namely, the 4th and 5th Janu^ary. Several botanical expeditions have been 

 made to the lower portion of the valley referred to, but I do not think the 

 upper portion had been examined prior to our visit. During our stay at 

 Ruggedy we climbed some of the heights, including Red Head Peak, and, 

 although for reasons stated later we did not attain the top of the latter, 

 we got far enough up to be able to state with tolerable certainty the nature 

 of the plant- life of this range. When the short time at our disposal and 

 the difficulty of the country examined is considered, it will be obvious that 

 this report is far from exhaustive, but it may serve in a small way to 

 enlighten those interested as to the plant covering of this little-visited part 

 of Stewart Island. 



I do not intend dealing at any length with introduced plants in this 

 paper, although a considerable number of them are to be found on the 

 ground visited, especially that part near the Ruggedy River. Compara- 

 tively recently this country was held imder grazing lease. A good deal 

 of it has been burnt, and apparently Surface-sown with English grasses, 

 and there has also been introduced many of the usual weeds of cultivation, 

 which have been spread a good deal by cattle. 



The following is the list of the introduced plants noted : Holcus lanatus 

 (L.), Dactylis glomerata (L.), Poa pratensis (L.), Festuca rubra (L.), Rumex 

 acetosella (L.), Stellaria media (L.), Trifolium repens (L.), T. hyhridum, 

 Prunella vulgaris (L.), Cnicus laticeolatus (Willd.), Taraxacum officinale 

 (Wigg), and Medicago denticulata (Willd.). 



Physiography. 



The nature of the country examined was veiy varied. It included 

 mountains, forest, dunes, bogs, and rocks. The western side is subject 

 to perhaps as stormy conditions as are to be met with in any part of the 

 world. The Ruggedy Mountains in their westerly aspect are as wild and 

 weather-worn as can be conceived, although on account of the high rain- 

 fall every crevice and nook which can give any shelter to a plant is filled 

 with a close array of wind-shorn foliage. 



