226 Transactions. — Botany, 



The above list does not include several speeies which, although generally 

 found on the mountains, are occasionally seen in littoral situations. Amongst 

 these may be mentioned Hymenanthera crassifolia, Golobanthus billardieri, 

 Pimelea lyallii, Danthonia raonlii, Halorayis uniflora, Senecio lagopm, Gen- 

 tiana montana, Utricnlaria munanthos, Herjwlirion novce-zealandia, all of 

 which are found on Stewart Island,* but there is no other locality in the 

 colony where so large an assemblage of alpine plants can be found growing 

 at the sea-level. 



It has been hastily assumed that this remarkable feature affords direct 

 evidence of a severe climate. Mr. Petrie, in his Notes on Stewart Island, after 

 recording the occurrence of Donatia nova-zealandia at sea-level in Paterson's 

 Inlet, writes, " It is extremely remarkable that a plant which does not descend 

 below 3,000 feet in the latitude of Dunedin should flourish at sea-level in that 

 of Paterson's Inlet, and the fact bears emphatic testimony to the severity of the 

 climate of Stewart Island. " f Again, referring to Senecio lyallii at intermediate 

 levels in Port Pegasus, he writes, " The occurrence of this alpine plant at so 

 low a level in Stewart Island, as well as its dwarfed proportions, give additional 

 proof of the severity of the climate in this part of the colony."]: It may be 

 mentioned incidentally that I was unable to find Donatia at sea-level, and 

 did not observe it below 2,700 feet. Senecio lyallii is usually dwarfed when 

 growing on undrained peat soil ; its favourite habitat is the side of a moun- 

 tain stream, where it exhibits its greatest luxuriance, while specimens 

 growing within a few yards on undrained soil are dwarfed and stunted. 



If this theory were correct it would be necessary to account for a still 

 greater difficulty — the occurrence of a varied and extremely luxuriant 

 arboreal vegetation, . including arborescent ferns, under the conditions 

 incidental to a severe climate. Nowhere in alpine districts are the alpine 

 plants enumerated on the preceding page associated with a varied and 

 exuberant forest growth, still less with tree-ferns as is the case on both 

 sides of the low moory ground at the head of Paterson's Inlet. 



All the facts of the case are opposed to such a conclusion : the climate is 

 remarkable for its mildness, and so far from being severe that it is much 

 more favourable to a luxuriant plant-growth than that of many parts of the 

 South Island, for instance the Canterbury Plains. It is true that the 

 atmosphere is almost constantly moist, but snow does not fall on the 

 lowlands, and frosts are not felt. Not only are many plants of mild climates 

 cultivated in the gardens of the settlers, but the Clianthus, karaka, nikau, and 

 other plants from the northern part of the colony, grow luxuriantly in the 



* Olearia colensoi and Senecio elceagnifolius descend to the sea-level in the West Coast 

 Sounds. 



t Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiii., p. 325. \ I.e., p. 328. 



