26 



(Sphagnum bog), common in the Chatham Islands and near 

 Kaitaia and in the Waikato sub-district. Suttonia chathamica 

 (forest and scrub), common in the Chatham Islands and in one 

 or two places in Stewart Island, but in small quantity. Urtica 

 australis (seashore) Lord Auckland Islands, Antipodes Island, 

 Chatham Islands, and some of the small islands in Foveaux 

 Strait. In all the above cases it seems safe to assume that the 

 species were at one time far more wide-spread and that the 

 actual dying-out of these species is being witnessed. 



Such dying-out may actually be seen in progress in certain 

 cases in what are apparently climax associations. The follow- 

 ing two examples are of special interest. The common forest 

 of Stewart Island has now as its principal trees Weinmannia 

 racemosa and Dacrydium cupressinum. But at one time there 

 was evidently abundance of Podocarpus spicatus, for the remains 

 of this tree may be constantly seen enclosed by the base of the 

 Weinmannia trunk, which is composed of roots which originally 

 grew upon the fallen Podocarpus trees. 



At the present time the Dacrydium cupressinum trees in the 

 Egmont National Park are being strangled by -the originally 

 epiphytic Metrosideros robusta, so that in a comparatively short 

 time that tree will have replaced the Dacrydium. 



This matter of species apparently dying-out also receives 

 confirmation through the extreme rarity of certain species in 

 isolated localities, where, when the extreme difficulty of a new 

 member joining a well-established plant association is remem- 

 bered, they must be considered as almost defunct. The follow- 

 ing are examples; all are common, often exceedingly common, 

 in the North or South Islands (usually in both), and of 

 continuous distribution: In Chatham Island Coprosma 

 robusta,, Discaria toumatou, Dodonaea viscosa, Leptospermum 

 scoparium (most ubiquitous of species!) Myoporum laetum, 

 Plagianthus divaricatus; in Lord Auckland Islands Blechnum 

 fluviatile, Halorrhagis micrantha (especially suited for the wet 

 peaty soil), Fuchsia excorticata, Hemitelia Smithii, Samolus 

 repens var. procumbens, Uncinia uncinata; in Stewart Island 

 Cordyline australis, Cyathea medullaris, Olearia ilicifolia, 

 Plagianthus betulinus, Podocarpus dacrydioides, Senecio 

 elaeagnifolius and Suttonia chathamica, 



