Swamp. — Moor. 159 
(W. of South Island), Veronica salicifolia and its var. paludosa (W. of South 
Island), the species of Coprosma already cited, Olearta larıflora (Western district 
rub-swamp may also be a stage in the retrogressive evolution of swamp 
from swamp-forest, in which case, at first, many forest-plants persist. for a 
time. Leptospermum-swamp strongly favours the presence of Sphagnum and 
thus is readily transformed into the different ecological category of moor. 
— 
. 
5. Moor. 
. General. 
Wherever there is a soil which remains saturated with water at all seasons, 
a moor-association of some kind will be present. But, although there may be 
shallow pools here and there, the entire surface must not be permanently 
covered. According to the average degree of wetness, so will the plant- 
covering vary, Sphagnum-moor (-bog), occupying the wettest and shrub-moor 
the dryest ground. 
The amount of peat present regulates the species to some degree, but 
to a lesser extent than would be imagined. Where the peat-content is scanty, 
"Pakihi-moor” occurs and forms a connecting link with Zepfospermunm-heath. 
Well-developed moor shows a distinct succession of vegetation. First, 
comes Sphagnum-bog; it is succeeded by various related combinations of species 
in which rush-like Cyperaceae and the xerophytic Gleichenia dicarpa with its 
plagiotropic pinnae and their pouch-like segments, is dominant. Finally, this is 
followed by heath or low forest, which latter may be replaced by rain-forest. 
Moor appears to originate in various ways, e. g.: from lake by way 
of reed-swamp; from frequent floods causing swamp in the first place; from 
. water Iying in wet hollows; from an excessive rainfall on flat badly-drained 
ground and from Sphagnum settling on the forest-floor in a wet climate. 
2 Obviously an abundant rain-fall, a comparatively low summer temperature 
and frequent cloudy skies favour moor, which is thus a common feature of the 
'W. and S. of the South Island and Stewart Island. In the North Island, exten- 3 
 sive Sphagnum-bogs were present on the Waikato Plain, but these were edaphic ae 
= rather than climatic and arose in swamps caused by overflow oftherverand 
 defective drainage. So, too with certain bogs, now reclaimed, on the Canter- 
 bury Plain, where the climate is hostile to moor. Hollows in the Auckland 
 gumlands are occupied by moor, and it is a matter of choice whether to 
a good deal of the vegetation. heath or moor. 
_ Many moorland species, especially in the Sontheim Fo: province, are 
also subalpine or alpine, while the moorland of Port Pegasus, Stewart a 
is en, identical with that at 600 m altitude, and upwards. Ben 
The growth forms’) are varied and include the me ee a 
ing-shrub with underground. Be, T: RaaBgekrloreng i 
= 2 The areresping subterrancan. stems. of certain s : 
? leading, as i it does, to ge veget tative increase 
