Ecological Botany?^ SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 231 



6. Introduced Plants. 



Non-indigenous plants are naturalised only near the depots, or where settlement 

 of some sort has taken place. In the Auckland Group the neighbourhood of the 

 former Enderby Settlement is their headquarters. Near the depots or boat-sheds 

 at Norman's Inlet and Carnley Harboiu- the naturalised plants are fewer. The 

 following is a list, but probably there are a few more unnoted : Poa annua, 

 P. pratensis, Dacttjlis gloinerata, Holcus lanatus, Avena fatua, Agrostis alba, PJior- 

 mium tenax, Rumex acetosella, Cerastium triviale, C. glonieratum, Stellaria media, 

 Sagina procumbens, Ranuncuhis repens, Brassica oleracea, Acaena Sanguisorbae, 

 Fragaria chiloensis, Trifolium repens, Ulex europaeus, Mentha piperita, BeUin 

 perennis, Sonchun oleraceus. 



Only one or two of the above call for any comment. Phormium tenax,'* according 

 to information given to me by Mr. Walter Joss, of the Neck, Stewart Island, was 

 introduced by the sealers in order to furnish them with footwear suitable for walking 

 on the slippery rocks when sealing. Mr. Joss remembers the time when there were 

 only three plants of this species near the Port Ross depot, but now the rejuvenating 

 forest, cut down during the days of the Enderby Settlement, is invaded, and the 

 plant is evidently slowly increasing. It will be interesting to note the future in- 

 crease of this common New Zealand plant, and to see if it can. unaided, gain a 

 footing in the actual virgin vegetation. 



Bellis perennis has become extremely abundant on the Hat open ground of 

 Enderby Island near the boat-shed, and the plants exhibit surprising luxuriance. 



Brassica oleracea will be an escape from the cultivated plants of the Enderby 

 Settlement. 



I have included Acaena Sanguisorbae amongst the naturalised plants, since 

 it does not appear to occur in the virgin vegetation. 



Finally, so far as the primitive formations are concerned, there are no introduced 

 plants of anil kiiul whatsoever. 



7. Reproduction of the Plant-covering after Fire. 



On the Auckland Islands hres have been set alight from time to time. Hooker 

 records how, near the observatory established by Ross's expedition, the forest was 

 set on fire, and the whole country " appeared in a blaze of tire at night " (" Flora 

 Antarctica," p. 151). The following are a few notes taken where firef had quite 

 destroyed the vegetation : On Adams Island, at about 100 m. altitude, where the 

 scrub or scrubby forest had been burned — " Here are plants of Cassinia VauvUliersii, 

 Coprosma foetidissima, C. cuneata, Dracophyllum longifolium (in abundance). C. 

 foetidissima is the tallest, making spreading bushes 60 cm. tall and as much through. 

 Also some Styphelia empetrifolia and Suttonia divaricata.'" . . . "In other parts 

 of the ' burn ' are some of the herbaceous plants, especially Gentiana concinna, Cala- 

 denia bifolia, Oreobolus pectinatus, and an abundance of the shrub Styphelia empe- 

 trifolia.'" Where tussock had been burned at the Noi-th Arm of Carnley Harbour — 

 " Dracophyllum longifolium easily dominant ; also, Coprosma repens, Styphelia empetri- 

 folia, Suttonia divaricata, Danthonia antarctica, Coprosma foetidissima, C. cuneata.'" 



* This is also naturalised in Campbell Island. 



fTliis refers to burning by the shepherds at the time when sheep were put on to the southern end 

 of the Auckland Group. 



