188 General Remarks on the High Mountain Vegetation. 
to Stewart Island. The Western district is its headquarters. It forms .colonies- 
many square metres in extent to the almost complete exclusion of all other plants. 
Each individual consists of a very large fleshy, broad, thick rhizome furnished 
with abundant descending stout, flexible roots. As the plant grows, one end 
of the rhizome decays while the apex increases in length, the plant thus slowly 
occupying new ground. From the apical end of the rhizome, long-petioled, : 
peltate leaves are given off, the petioles vertical and the blades horizontal, thus 
effectively shading the ground beneath. These leaf-blades are smooth, bright- 
green, flexible, coriaceous and frequently form a concave saucer-like surface 
which is filled with water after rain. The petioles are stout; they measure 
‚30cm or more in length and the blade may be 24 cm, or more, in diam. 
The flowers, borne on tall branched stalks, rise high above the foliage. They 
are pure white, the petals at times so numerous that the flower looks semi- 
» 
double, and 30 blossoms to a stalk, each 7 cm in diam., are quite usual. It E 
