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216 Transactions.— Botany. 
So far as at present known the flora of the island comprises about 
980 species of Phenogams and nearly 70 species of Ferns and allied plants. 
The lower Acotyledons have not been sufficiently investigated to allow of 
their number being estimated with any approximation to correctness. It is 
not my intention to present a complete list of the plants observed by me, 
but simply to offer a brief account of the most striking characteristics of 
the flowering plants, with special remarks on the endemic species. 
The traveller who visits Stewart Island in December or January will 
have his attention arrested by the blaze of crimson presented by the rata 
(Metrosideros lucida), often flecked with the pale racemes of the kamahi 
(Weinmannia racemosa), the deep green leaves of the puheretaiko and the 
tupari (Senecio rotundifolius and Olearia colensoi), and the grass-like leaves of 
the inaka (Dracophyllum longifolium), all of which form a fringe of greater 
or less breadth at the water's edge, and (except the puheretaiko) often 
expand into large masses ascending to the crests of the hills. Of these - 
however the kamahi and rata alone attain the dignity of timber trees, and 
are excelled in dimensions by the rimu and the totara alone. The rimu 
(Daerydium cupressinum) is abundant at the lower levels and attains large 
dimensions, the specimeus comparing favourably with those from the west 
coast of the South Island, and yielding timber of greater durability. 
Podocarpus totara comes next in order of frequency, but is much less common 
than the rimu, although individual specimens attain a larger size. 
Dacrydium colensoi and D. intermedium are abundant in certain localities and 
yield the “ white pine" of the saw mills: the true white pine (Podocarpus 
dacrydioides) does not appear to occur on the island. Podocarpus ferruginea 
and Griselinia littoralis, the miro and the kapuka, are plentiful, but the 
matai ( Podocarpus spicata) is extremely rare. 
Amongst smaller trees and shrubs the most prominent are the horoeka 
(Panas crassifolia), and its congeners Panaz simpler and P. edgerleyi, both 
exhibiting such excessive luxuriance as frequently to require an examination 
of the fruit before their identification can be determined; the rautawhiri 
(Pittosporum tenuifolium, var. colensoi), the kotukutuku (Fuchsia eacorticata), 
the mako (Aristotelia racemosa), the mapau (Myrsine australis), the pokako 
(Eleocarpus hookerianus), also Carpodetus serratus, Myrsine divaricata, both of 
— are umm as tese i weeping tree," Myrsine montana, with 
cu ge, affords a picturesque effect of a 
"-——— ttractive cl ter altogetl i t New Zealand plants. 
On the slopes of the hills Laken inveni. ibo: manuka, forms a small 
iree, but in the lower lands it is usually serubby. It should be observed 
that the trees and shrubs here mentioned form the greater portion of the 
