TALL TUSSOCK-GRASSLAND OF SOUTHLAND. 91 
On the Southland Plain the reddish-coloured tussocks frequently 
stand so closely together that there appears to be nothing else. But 
between these colonies of tussock there are usually open spaces, 
varying in area. Growing on the wettish soil of such spaces there 
will be dark-coloured, entangled, shining masses of the stiff stems of 
the wiry snowberry (Gaultheria perplexa). A form of the mountain- 
astelia (Astelia montana) often makes extensive colonies. The New 
Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) is frequently more or less abundant. 
A number of other plants, many of them elsewhere much more 
common in the mountains than in the lowlands, are generally pre- 
sent in this Southland association. Such are—the alpine hard-fern 
(Blechnum penna marina) ; the grass-lily (Herpolirion novae-zelandiae), 
a summer-green herb with short grass-like leaves an inch or two 
long, and, for the size of the plant, a rather large bluish flower; the 
spear-grass (Aciphylla squarrosa); the mountain-snowberry (Gaul- 
thera depressa); two small plants of the heath family (Cyathodes 
empetrifolia and Pentachondra pumila); the curious Oreostylidium 
subulatum, a stemless herb with very short, needle-like leaves in 
small rosettes, and inconspicuous flower sunk amidst the rosette ; 
and the small craspedia (Craspedia minor), furnished with sticky 
aromatic soft leaves and whitish flower-head. 
This remarkable plant-association, though occurring almost at sea- 
level, has a most decided subalpine stamp, the reason for which is 
briefly gone into in the next chapter. The plants, too, for the most 
part, are drought-tolerating, although growing in such a wet position. 
This curious state of affairs receives consideration when dealing 
with bog-plants in Chapter VIII. 
Besides occurring in the lowlands, the above association ascends 
to the limit of the montane belt; it also extends to Stewart Island. 
The tussock itself, under the name of “ snow-grass,” is well known by 
shepherds for its worthless character as sheep-feed. Unfortunately, 
they call at least two other plants by the same name. 
Tall tussock-grassland differmg in composition from the above 
is more or less common in the high mountains (fig. 52). On the 
Volcanic Plateau of the North Island it occupies considerable areas 
at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet. In that botanical district, 
besides the red-tussock the more important plants are the following : 
The common celmisia (a variety of Celmisia longifolia), dark-coloured 
erect bushes 1 foot 6 inches high of the monoao (Dracophyllum 
