224 REPORT— 1891. 



posed rocks, but was not observed below 1,000ft. The small- 

 flowered Plcuroj^hylliim, with leafless scapes — P. gilliesianum 

 — was not unfrequent, and ascended to 800ft. : it appears to be 

 more plentiful than on the Auckland Islands. 



The stunted appearance of the ligneous vegetation at low 

 elevations was relieved by most luxuriant specimens of 

 Ligusticuvi latifolium : the large umbels of red flowers and 

 fruit combined with its bold foliage to produce an effect 

 altogether unique amongst New Zealand plants. L. antipodum 

 was frequent, as were most of the showy plants of the Auck- 

 land Islands : Stilhocarpa i^olaris, Bulhinclla rossii, Cchnisia 

 vernicosa, 3£yosotis cai)itata, Veronica benthami, Pleuropliylkitn 

 criniferum, and especially P. speciosum. The Campbell Island 

 form of P. spcciositm shows several points of difference from 

 the Auckland Island plant : the leaves are larger, rather nar- 

 rower, and usually more or less erect, while they are invariably 

 clothed with jointed or moniliform hairs mixed with the straight 

 tomentum — a character which is rare or entirely absent on the 

 Auckland Island form : the scapes are usually longer, and the 

 flower-head larger, but in these matters there is great varia- 

 tion : the ligulate corollas are of a deep-purple colour, afford- 

 ing a strong contrast with the impure wliitish corollas of 

 the Auckland Island plant. It is noteworthy that these 

 differences, although of a trivial character, have proved con- 

 stant under cultivation during ten years. 



In addition to the above, some plants of special interest 

 must be mentioned. Colohantlins benthami was collected in 

 two localities on the hills, and C. muscoidcs was common on 

 rocks by the sea. Banuncuhis 2)inguis and Azorella reniformis 

 were found on dripping rocks, and, like most of the herbaceous 

 plants, exhibited great luxuriance. On the lower slopes of 

 Mount Honey, Mr. F. R. Chapman, Mr. M. Chapman, and 

 myself collected a few plants of a new Celmisia closely related 

 to G. vernicosa, but with the leaves from ^in. to fin. broad, 

 traversed by several closely parallel nerves : the bracts of the 

 scape are close-set, and the flower-head is similar to that of 

 G. vernicosa, but larger. Fewer than a dozen plants, some of 

 which were seedlings, were found, and the whole were restricted 

 to a space less than 300ft. square. It appears to be a robust 

 broad-leaved form of G. vernicosa, from which it has doubtless 

 originated within a very recent period indeed, but is evidently 

 able to perpetuate itself. I failed to observe the noble C. ver- 

 bascifolia, of which specimens were collected by Dr. Filhol 

 and Lieutenant Eathoins, of the ' Vire,' so that like other 

 plants on the island it is probably local ; but my explorations 

 were limited to a very small portion of its area. 



A noticeable instance of this restricted localisation is ex- 

 hibited by the DracopJiyllum scoparium figured by Hooker 



