22 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



dense that progress through it is impossible. It must be 

 either avoided altogether or walked over. Anyone who essays 

 the latter method of advance, does so with the risk of falling 

 through the uneven floor of rigid branch! ets which supports 

 him. Should this accident happen, he may be much bruised 

 or scratched, though he is not likely to be seriously hurt. The 

 scrub consists chiefly of Coprosmas, but also contains species 

 of Cassinia, Olearia, Myrtus, etc. The leaves of the typical 

 scrub plant are small and sparse, the branches rigid, twiggy, 

 and often pointed. The manuka is often termed a scrub 

 plant, but its characteristics are rather those of the Heath, 

 which will be described later. 



THE ALPINE VEGETATION. 



In the South Island, the mixed lowland forest is generally 

 replaced at altitudes of from 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet, by the 

 beech forest. Beyond 3,000 or 4,000 feet this passes into the 

 the region of sub-alpine shrubs, which are mostly Veronicas and 

 Compositae. These, again, gradually give way to the alpine 

 herbs of the mountain meadows, moors, and shingle-slips. 

 With the line of perpetual snow all vegetation ends. In the 

 North Island there are only three peaks which rise over 

 7, 000 feet, the volcanic mountains, Buapehu, Egmont, and 

 Ngauruhoe. The first of the three is the highest, being 

 just over 9,000 feet. In the South Island, the Southern Alps, 

 which culminate in Mount Cook, 12,349 feet high, have 

 hundreds of peaks which are over 7, 000 feet. Hence the 

 alpine vegetation flourishes best on that range. The perpetual 

 snow-line ranges from about 7,000 feet in Otago, to 8,000 feet 

 in Nelson. The Kaikoura range on the East Coast also has 

 several peaks which are never free from snow. There, too, 

 alpine herbage has been found, but this range has hitherto 



