138 ER Plant Formations. \ 
feature, those of . totara bearing but a scanty covering of bryophytes, its 
outer bark hanging in long strips. Some of the other forest-trees are: 
Knightia excelsa, Beilschmiedia tawa (abundant), Carpodetus serratus, Wein- 
mannıa xacemosa, Pennantia corymbosa, Alectryon excelsum, Hoheria sexstylosa, 
Melicytus ramiflorus, Fuchsia excorticata, Nothopanax arboreum, Rapanea 
Urvillei, Olea montana and Brachyglottis repanda. Most of the above also 
occur as shrubs or young trees of undergrowth in which likewise, amongst 
others, the following occur: — Paratrophis microphyllus (very common), Aris- 
totelia racemosa, Myrtus pedunculata, Schefflera digitata (dominant in some 
places), rose rotundifolia and Rhabdothamnus Solandri. In some gullies 
of this particular community are hundreds of young plants of Schefflera 30 cm 
or so high, associated with various ground-ferns especially Dryopteris pennigera. 
The chief tree-fern, liane and epiphyte respectively are: — Cyathea dealbata, 
Metrosideros hypericifolia and Astelia Solandri. en and Hymeno- 
Phyllaceae are plentiful. 
Forest of Banks Peninsula. 
Banks Peninsula was originally covered with a forest in which ?. totara 
and, in places, P. spicatus were dominant, except on certain northern slopes 
and at the summits of the higher peaks. In the deeper gullies where there were 
permanent streams was a wealth of ferns including Hymenophyllaceae, but 
‚according to ARMSTRONG’s list (1880: 346), and to recent observations, only 
2 07 3 species of these latter were at all plentiful. On many slopes and in 
the w terless stony gullies, the forest was of a dry character, as evidenced by 
Eu the abundance of the ferns Pellaca rotundi; ifolia and Polystichum Richardi. | 
1 negative features help to define the forest as a whole. Thus the 
Astelia C Cumningk 
some of which extend much further to the S. in the W. of the’ 
bsent: — Trichomanes reniforme, Lindsaya cuneata, ee 
