in the S. Otago FRE ERBE N  : ı m high, eg ie A 
| australis, Raoulia ar: ze. gg ri, Parsonsia } 
together. 
Coastal Scrub. 89 
actual forest. But on the island generally the trees remain at the shrub-stage, 
blooming and fruiting abundantly. 
Almost any of the plants appear capable of settling upon the naked lava. 
This could well be expected of the following epiphytes, or rock-plants: — 
Metrosideros tomentosa (the dominant species of the island), Astelia Banksii, 
A. Cunninghamiü var. Hookeriana, A. Solandri, Metrosideros lucida, Griselinia 
 lucida (Plate XI, Fig. 17) and Senecro Kırkü. But it is hardly to be anticipated 
in Coriaria ruscifolia, Geniostoma ligustrifolium, Veronica salicifola, Coprosma 
robusta and C. lucida. All the above may grow into one another and make 
a close low scrub. Other common shrübs are: — Anzghtia excelsa, Nothopanax 
arboreum, Rapanea Urvülei and Styphelia fasciculata’). 
y. White Island. 
White Island is a small cone in the solfatara stage, 2.4 km in diam., 328 m 
high, situated in the Bay of Plenty and distant from the mainland 48 km. 
From its crater pass off great clouds of steam highly charged with HCl. It 
is the presence of this gas, according to R. B. OLIVER, that governs the 
distribution of plant-life on the island, since where the fumes strike there is 
complete absence of vegetation. In foggy weather, the same observer re 
cally states, “it may be said to rain dilute- Hydrochloric aci 
The total number of species of vascular plants on the Kind is only ı2 
which include as shrubs only Metrosideros tomentosa and Coprosma Baueri. The 
former makes a high scrub at the western end ofthe island varying from 3 or 
4 mto6or 8m in height where most luxuriant. The shrubs or low trees grow 
closely, their dark-green foliage being confined to the roof. Dead branches and 
twigs attached to the living plants are a conspicuous feature and it is erident 
that the association has no easy task to hold Rs own u 
» 
d. Southern botanical province, 
On the summit of the isthmus connecting Nugget Point and the a 
dense that one can walk upon it, nor can the plants be disentangled without 
using force. The ne as follows, shows it to be merely depaup EN 
forest: — Bodocarpus totara, Drimys colorata, Carpodetus,  Fuchsia ereorti- 
cata, Coprosma propingua, 6 ‚foetidissima and the lianes, 3 
bind the shrubs tig] htly 
