170 The Plant Formations. 
r 
Cladium Sinclairii (often dominant), Cordyline Banksı, Phormium tenax, 
'P. Cookianum, Astelia Solandri (often dominant), Astelia Cunninghamii var. 
Hookeriana (abundant on old lava flows), Bulbophyllum. pygmaeum, Earına 
mucronata, Peperomia Endlicheri, Elatostema rugosum (wet rocks), Aubus 
australis, Coriaria ruscifolia, Leptospermum scoparium, Metrosideros dıffusa 
(sometimes a M. scandens, Griselinia lucida, Gaultheria antıpoda,. 
Styphelia acerosa, 5. fasciculata, Veronica salicifolia, V. macrocarpa, Nertera. 
Cunninghamii (wet rocks), Olearia furfuracea, Celmisia Adamsit (Thames sub- 
district and near Whangarei), Gnaphalium keriense (wet rocks), Brachyglottis 
repanda. ; 
® c. Central botanical province. 
The coastal tree, Metrosideros tomentosa, grows luxuriantly on cliffs of 
Lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti, Tarawera, Taupo and other lakes of the Volcanic 
Plateau district as also on cliffs at L. Waikaremoana (East Cape district). 
In the East Cape district, rocks in the drip of water are clad with a 
luxuriant. growth of Sa Sinclairüi”) and probably wide breadths of 
Gnaphalium subrigidum or G. keriense. A very common association throughout 
in river-gorges is “hat of Blechnum capense”), Cladium Sinclairi and Gnapha- 
 lium keriense with shrubs, especially Veronica salicifolia, projecting outwards 
or downwards. On drier rocks, in the full sunlight, the small tuft-tree Cordy- 
line Banksii may form close masses accompanied by Poa anceps (a most com- 
‚mon rock-plant throughout the North Island), Veronica salicifolia, RE H 
repanda and other shrubs. “4 
The vegetation of the soft shale (*papa”) cliffs of the many deep gorges 
‘of the Wanganui coastal-plain is perhaps the most important rock-association 
of the North Island and represents, on a vaster scale, that briefly described 
above, where 3. capense dominates. Taking the gorge of the Wanganui itself, 
there are many kilometres of cliff, sometimes sloping and sometimes perpendi- e 
cular. Above comes low Beilschmiedia tawa forest, beneath which there may 
be a belt of shrubs and beneath this again the true cliff-covering consisting 
_ above of masses of the drooping, smooth, flat, ‚pale-green, grass-like leaves of 
€. Sinelairii ı m or so long by 2cm wide and great breadths of the huge 
leaves « of B. capense, this the physiognomic plant. If the position is wi 
5 “ keriense mixed with. Veronica catarractae nn ee this again de um 
re with th stunted. fronds. Phormium Cookianum. is ge in. ee 
x Sn ie reih; 155 \ em ar leaves thin, a | 
zei, rate with. blade ware cm us: dowers r rather ea Ser tted rd 
ra BEN 
