T. Kmx.—On the Flowering Plants of Stewart Island, 991 
a small rush was obtained closely allied to Juncus antarcticus of 
Campbell Island, if not identical with that species, also an undescribed 
species of Uncinia and a Carex new to science. Before reaching the crest 
we encountered a dense snowstorm, which later on was varied by fierce 
blasts of sleet and hail, so that hands and face were stung almost past 
endurance, and the use of note-book and pencil became impossible for the 
rest of the day. 
The scene on reaching the crest was quite unexpected; right in front 
towered the highest peak, half-obscured by the driving snow, steep and 
precipitous, but between the crest on which we stood and the beetling 
cliffs was a crateriform hollow apparently 800 feet in depth, the bottom 
of which was occupied by a lake. The ridge from which we looked down 
to the lake sloped gradually to the water's edge, causing the hollow 
to present the appearance of a cup-shaped crater. I was unable to detect 
the outlet of the lake, but one of the party caught a view of it as the falling 
snow was momentarily swept on one side by a fiercer blast than usual. On 
its inner face the slope was sparingly clothed with scrub apparently 
of the same character as that amongst which we had been struggling: 
but time pressed too hardly to allow of its examination. On the crest 
itself stunted Olearia and Dacrydium were the commonest plants, but 
in some places a strange sight was presented: Dracophyllum muscoides 
formed a compact dark-green sward, thickly gemmed with white flowers, 
occasionally rising into pillar-like hummocks two feet high, and so 
extremely dense that it was a matter of great difficulty to thrust a knife 
into the woody mass; at a somewhat lower elevation short straggling 
branches were given off at the margins of patches, forming a kind of loose 
fringe. The line of ascent lay along the eastern side of the hollow, the 
mountain rising into a high peak not greatly inferior to the highest or 
northern peak. The ascent to the eastern peak was impeded by numerous 
patches of dense scrub of no great height but of extremely rigid habit; on 
the open spots several interesting plants were collected, amongst which may 
be mentioned a new Aciphylla of flaccid densely-tufted habit, which I have 
described as A. traillii, occasional specimens of Ranunculus lyallii, a pros- 
trate form of Coprosma colensoi (identified in the absence of flowers), patches 
of C. pumila, a silvery Celmisia, destitute of flowers but apparently allied to 
C. sessiliflora, Schenus pauciflorus, Danthonia florescens, and two undescribed | 
species of the same genus. In rock crevices Hymenophyllum villosum was 
plentiful, and the curious fern usually referred to Polypodium australe, V. 
alpinum ; but the most interesting plant was unquestionably Ourisia sessili- 
flora, its large handsome flowers were white as the snow hs which it was 
partially hidden, 
