330 Transactions.— Botany. 
The most abundant grasses are the tussock-grass, Poa caspitosa, etc., 
an undescribed species of fescue usually referred to Festuca duriuscula, 
Linn., by most New Zealand collectors. The hassock-grass, Aira caspitosa, 
Agrostis emula ; the holy-grass, Hierochloe redolens ; the plume-grass, 
Dichelachne crinita ; and the blue-grass, Triticum squarrosum. Among these 
grasses grew a few pretty little herbaceous plants belonging to the genera 
Raoulia, Craspedia, Cotula wahlenbergia, Pelargonium, Geranium, and Geum, 
and in wet places many interesting little plants, such as species of Pratia, 
Ranunculus, Lomaria, Triglochin, Micromeria, and others. The vegetation 
of the downs does not differ materially from that of the plain, but in many 
of the valleys at the base of the main chain, small patches of forest are 
found, and have been of great value to the settlers. These small forests, 
or bushes as they are commonly ealled, consist of totara, miro, rimu, 
matai, and the two common species of birches—Fagus cliffortioides and 
F. solandri, 
When these bushes are at a low elevation, as at Waimate and Geraldine, 
_ the Conifere prevail; but whenever the elevation much exceeds 600 feet, 
the Fagus become the principal tree ; though the Coniferous species do not 
altogether cease until we reach a height of 2,000 feet. The smaller trees 
mentioned as common on the peninsula are here comparatively rare and 
often altogether absent. Shrubby plants are much less numerous in this 
district than in any other part of the colony. ü 
A few patches of shrubs were occasionally to be found on the plains, and 
were formed of Discaria toumatou, Coprosma parviflora, Leptospermum scopa- 
rium, Olearia virgata, and Cassinia vawvilliersii. The common cabbage-tree 
of the South Island, a species of Cordyline doubtfully referred to C. australis, 
of Hooker, was formerly rather common, and helped to enliven what was at 
best a dreary scene. 
The lowland distriet contains about 860 species arranged under 160 
genera of flowering plants. 
The Alpine District.—This is by far the most interesting of these divisions, 
as it contains a very large number of most beautiful shrubs and herbaceous 
plants which are likely at no distant date to become the common ornaments 
of European gardens, for which they are eminently fitted, from their great 
hardiness, easy propagation, and exquisite beauty. Indeed, a demand for 
our native Alpine plants has already sprung up in England, and several of 
them are to be found in the lists of the leading London nurserymen. 
The Alpine district may be further divided into the following zones of 
vegetation, which are generally clearly defined, except in the valleys of the 
rivers, where the plants of the upper zone sometimes occur, having been - 
brought down by the floods from their usual habitat :— 
