92 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
subulatum), that pretty eyebright Huphrasia tricolor, circular mats 
of the prostrate shrub Coprosma depressa, the small creeping bluish- 
green shrub Pentachondra pumila, and the ubiquitous pungent heath 
(Leucopogon Fraser). 
Other classes of grassland also ascend high into the mountains, 
but only one can be mentioned here—the hassock-grass (Dan- 
thonia australis) association. This occurs on rather gentle slopes 
where the snow les long in winter. The grass forms dense mats, 
green above, but with rotting stems and leaves beneath. The 
mats are more than 2 inches thick; they consist of the very wiry 
stems of the grass and the numerous short leaves flattened to 
the ground, and all pointing in one direction. More than 
4 inches of the basal part of the stem is covered by old leaf- 
sheaths. The leaves themselves are from 2 to 6 inches long ; 
the sheath equals the blade in length; this latter is green, stiff, 
hard, and needle-like. For hundreds of feet the mountain-slopes 
may be covered with the close yellowish-green mantle formed 
by the hassock-grass, the general appearance being that of a 
well-kept lawn. So slippery is the surface that it is hard to 
keep one’s feet when struggling up the slope. So vigorous is the 
growth of the grass that it rapidly buries its competitors, which in 
consequence are few in number. Several species of Celmisia are the 
most common, especially the common cotton-plant (C. spectabilis), the 
snow-celmisia (C. viscosa), the hoary mountain-musk (C. intermedia), 
and the needle-leaved celmisia (C. laricifolia). There may also be 
the large-flowered raoulia (Raoulia grandiflora), the little spaniard 
(Aciphylla Monroi), and an occasional tussock of Festuca novae- 
zealandiae. The association occurs in the North-western Botanical 
District and in the North-eastern Botanical District where the two 
districts adjoin, while southwards it occurs in the north-western part 
of the Eastern Botanical District. 
It is low tussock-grassland which must specially be considered 
from the economic aspect; tall tussock-grassland of Danthonia 
Raoulia var. rubra is worthless, though the soil on which it grows 
may be rich enough when drained, as Southland can testify. 
As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the association 
under consideration has supported millions of sheep for nearly 
seventy years. During that by no means inconsiderable space of 
time, a period during which an artificial pasture would have had 
