T. Kmx.—On the Flowering Plants of Stewart Island. 217 
forest, and with the exception of Dacrydium colensoi, are of general distribu- 
tion in the colony. Olearia nitida, O. avicenniafolia, and Panaw colensoi are 
common by the sides of streams, or on the margin of forests. Veronica 
salicifolia occurs by the sides of water-courses, but is far from common. 
Scheflera digitata is abundant in damp gullies. 
The undergrowth is often extremely dense, and consists in many places 
chiefly of Coprosma fatidissima and C. lucida. C. colensoi is common, C. 
tenuicaulis and C. rotundifolia are local. Metrosideros hypericifolia is 
abundant, and is the only scandent species on the island. — Myrtus peduncu- 
lata is plentiful, and the supplejack (Rhipogonum scandens) occurs in moist 
places, but scarcely ascends above sea-level. 
Amongst the shrubs the soil is often carpeted with a compact growth of 
the charming liliaceous plant, Callizene parviflora, with its elegant drooping 
flowers, mixed with numerous ferns, orchids, and mosses. The orchids 
form a marked feature m some parts of the forest. Corysanthes oblonga, C. 
rivularis, and others produce their attractive flowers literally by thousands ; 
in no other locality have I seen these interesting plants in such vast pro- 
fusion. Gastrodia cunninghamii is rare, having been observed only on the 
small island of Ulva. Caladenia bifolia is frequent, one of its forms making 
a close approach to C. lyallii. Chiloglottis cornuta occurs on Ulva, the glands 
on the labellum vary considerably in their shape and arrangement. In 
the majority of cases there are five depressed coloured glands arranged 
in a symmetrical manner, in a few specimens they were reduced to 
three, and in a solitary plant numerous stalked glands were arranged in a 
double row down the middle of the labellum exactly as in the Tasmanian 
Q. gunnii, which is probably a state of the New Zealand plant. The dwarf 
variety of Pterostylis banksii, with abbreviated sepals, is common in open 
places in the forest. 
In addition to the terrestrial forms, the epiphytic forms are well repre- 
sented, with the exception of Sarcochilus, which appears to be rare, and 
Bolbophyllum, which has not been observed on the island. 
Arborescent ferns are abundant alike on the outskirts of the forest and 
in its deepest recesses, often occurring in large masses especially on sheltered 
slopes, where they frequently rise above the level of the surrounding shrubs 
and produce an effect rarely seen elsewhere in the colony. The most 
common species are the poka ( Dicksonia squarrosa) and the katote (Hemitelia 
smithii); the stem and fronds of the latter are sometimes used as food for 
cows. The mamaku (Cyathea medullaris) is local, and has not been bservec 
south of Halfmoon Bay.  Lemaria discolor frequently developes an erect 
caudex 2/-9/ high. Of the numerous filmy ferns I will only mention 
the island. sometimes 
Hymenophyllum bivalve, one of the 
