POPPELWELL. — Botany of Ruggedy Mountains. 283 



acerosa, Griselinia littoralis, Gcmltheria perplexa, Coprostna acerosa, with 

 Gnafhalium trinerve and G. luteo-alhum, and a patch of the alpine fern 

 Lindsay i linearis. 



** Dune Forest. 

 Between Ruggedy River, Fresh-water Valley, and West Ruggedy (on 

 the sheltered side) there is a forest on the ancient dunes. It is of the 

 " Rimu-Kamahi " order, but is for the most part low. There is a con- 

 siderable thickness of humus on the floor of the forest, and in places it 

 is somewhat boggy. The plants noted by me were Dacrydiiou cwpres- 

 sinum, Podocarfus ferrugineus, Weinmannia racemosa (whose predominance 

 gives a character to the association), Dracophyllum longifolium, Coprosma 

 foetidissima, C. propinqua, Northopanax Edgerleyi, Nortliopanax Colensoi, 

 Griselinia littoralis, and Metrosideros lucida, with occasional plants of Olearia 

 Colensoi, Senecio rotundifolia, and Coprosma lucida. The floor-covering 

 consisted principally of Blechniim discolor and B. capense. Dicksonia 

 squarrosa is common. On the trunks of trees and logs I also noted Tmesi- 

 pteris tannensis, Lycopodium Billardieri, Polypodium diversifoliurn, and 

 Hymenophyllum dilatatuni and H. sangmnolentuin . Occasional specimens of 

 Pseudopanax crassijolium, Siyphelia acerosa, Veronica salicifolici, and Co- 

 prosma Colensoi were also seen. Among epiphytes Bendrohium Cunning- 

 hamii and Earina mucronata, both in full bloom, were noted. Xext the 

 beach at Ruggedy West there was a low scrub consistmg principally of 

 Olearia Colensoi and Senecio rotundifolius, but near its edge I saw an 

 occasional plant of Phormium tenax. 



(3.) MOUNTAIN MEADOW. 



The only elevated open meadow examined by me was on the hills just 

 adjoining the headland near Rugged Island. There is a considerable area 

 of open land, ascending to a height of about 900 ft. On the east side of 

 the hills there is an almost continuous forest, which will be dealt with 

 under its proper heading. The open side lies exposed to the west, and its 

 plant association is accordingly much afi'ected by wind. 



Commencing above the wind-swept Ruggedy headland, at a height of 

 about 200 ft., in a boggy place, I noted Gnaphalium trinerve, Pratia angu- 

 lata, Gnaphalium luteo-alhum, Ranmicidus rivularis, Carex ternaria, Phor- 

 mium Coohianum, Anisotome intermedia (?), Blechnum capense, Scirpus 

 nodosus, Selliera radicans, Scirpus aiicklandicus, and Epilohium nerterioides . 

 At a height of 350 ft. great patches of Lihertia ixioides in full bloom ap- 

 peared, the brownish leaves of the plants giving a marked physiognomy 

 to the hillside. Dotted all over were the rosettes of Celmisia rigida, 

 decorated with their handsome flowers. In exposed situations the leaves 

 of this Celmisia had a -brownish-green colour, and were only 2 in. or 3 in. 

 long. Where the plant was growing in the shelter the leaves were 9 in. 

 or 10 in. long, and of a much brighter green on the upper side. Here and 

 there were specimens of Coprosma propinqua, with Styphelia acerosa and 

 Dracophyllum longifolium shorn almost to the cushion form. Some rounded 

 cushions of Oreobolus pectinatus also dotted the hillside, with occasional 

 stunted plants of Veronica huxifolia. In parts the hillside appeared to have 

 been burnt, so that the present association is not necessarily original, al- 

 though, judging from the dry sticks lymg about, apparently the original 

 large plants were much the same as at present. The carpet plants were 

 Gentiana saxosa, Senecio bellidioides, Gaultheria perplexa, and Anisotome 



