GENERAL INTRODUCTION 23 



been explored very imperfectly by botanists. The vegetation 

 of the Southern Alps, thanks to Buchanan, von Haast and Dr. 

 Cockayne, is now comparatively well known, though there are 

 doubtless a considerable number of mountain species yet to be 

 discovered. It is to this range, then, that botanists must turn 

 to find the best known New Zealand alpine plants. Nor need 

 they be mountaineers, for many of the species that belong 

 climatically to higher levels, come down to the lower passes, 

 and sometimes descend the river beds almost to the plains. 

 On the top of Arthur's Pass, on the Canterbury- Westland 

 coach road, numerous alpine and sub-alpine species are to be 

 found. Here, in January, the wild flowers blossom in the 

 greatest profusion, forming a garden whose uncovenanted 

 beauty might easily put to shame the stately flower ranks and 

 geometrical foliage beds of many a prized parterre. True, 

 white is the prevailing colour, broken occasionally by gleams 

 of yellow, but though there is no gorgeousness, there is at 

 least no disharmony of tone. Ranunculus Lijallii with its 

 large white cups, and Gelmisias of various species, with their 

 large daisy-like flowers, are conspicuous in such an alpine 

 meadow, by the size, beauty, and profusion of their blooms. 

 Even when these plants are not flowering, there is still to be 

 seen that wonderful variety of leafage so dear to every 

 mountain climber's heart. Ruskin has well described it, 

 though writing of European forms. " The leaves of the 

 herbage at our feet take all kinds of strange shapes, as if 

 to invite us to examine them. Star-shaped, heart-shaped, 

 spear-shaped, arrow-shaped, fretted, fringed, cleft, furrowed, 

 serrated, sinuated, in whorls, in tufts, in spires, in wreaths 

 endlessly expressive, deceptive, fantastic, never the same 

 from footstalk to blossom ; they seem perpetually to tempt 

 our watchfulness, and take delight in outstripping our 

 wonder." 



The alpine plants and foliage must always have a fascination 

 for those who delight in beauty and variety of leaf -form. 



