Vertical Distribution (The Belts of Vegetation). — Alpine Plants at Sea-level. 175 
some months cerain characteristic plants‘), rare or absent below, appear in 
force and a new vegetation is encountered. The average winter snow-line 
then forms the boundary between the alpine and upper subalpine belts and 
‚it fluctuates from about ı500 m on the Volcanic Plateau to ı200 m in the 
North-eastern district and 900 m in Stewart Island. 
At a lower altitude, another fluctuating line occurs which marks the point 
at which snow may lie, at most, for a week or two; this forms the boundary be- 
tween the upper and Dede auhalglar belts, and it Ba about 300 m below 
the alpine line. At 300 m below the upper subalpine line comes the lower 
‚subalpine denoting the average limit reached- by winter snow which either 
melts at once or remains at most a few days”). Below this point the eg 
lower mountain .area, already dealt with, is encountered. 
Taking the whole high-mountain flora of 945 species, the lower subalpine : 
belt contains 666, the upper subalpine 743 and the alpine 403, about ı00 of a 
which occur at the highest altitudes. With regard to the high-mountain species, e 
about 52 do not usually occur below ı200 m altitude, 227 below goo m of 
which 35 are confined to between goo m and ı200 m and 320 below 600 m 
of which 63 are virtually confined to between 600 m and 20 m though a > 
“ end descend considerably lower‘). 
x: Alpine Plants at Sealevel. 
Rs already seen, 99 species of high-mountain plants occur at about sea 
3 Me many of which are most characteristic alpine plants, e. g. to mention a ie 
— Carpha alpina, Oreobolus pectmatus, Gaimardia ciliata, Astelia linearis, 
7 PR novae-zelandiae, Carmichaelia Monroi, Drapetes Dieffenbachii, Styphelia 
 empetrifolia, Coprosma repens, Donatia novae-zelandiae, Celmisia argentea and 
5 ‚Senecio Lyallü. There. is also a second ‚category, the. members of which 
| > with lowl. ies, although their di 
