Pollination. — Dissemination. 197 
‚and very small. The attractive flowers are of the following colours: — white 249 
(about 70 p. c.), cream 7, yellow 74, green ı, blue 2, lilac 2, red 2, rose 2, 
pink 3, crimson ı, black or brown (stamens golden) 2. The attractive flowers 
belong in large part to the following families or genera: — Ranunculus, Epi- 
 lobium, Aciphylla, Ericaceae, Epacridaceae, Gentiana, Myosotis, Veronica, Ourisia, 
. Euphrasia, Campanulaceae, Stylidiaceae, Olearia, Celmisia, Senecio and some 
other genera of the Compositae. Many flowers are of a size quite disproportionate 
to the tiny plants that produce them and in some instances they are in such 
Profusion as to hide the foliage, especially in small cushion plants (Plate XXX VII, 
 XLIX, Figs. 52, 72). Speaking generally, the floral display of the high-mountains 
is far more striking than that of the lowlands and the coast. A corrie, one 
sheet of:the dazzling white of Ranunculus Lyallii or Senecio scorzoneroides, the 
great:mats of Leucogenes Leontopodium on the Tararuas (Plate L, Fig. 76) far 
‚surpassing the famed Swiss edelweiss, or the Mount Egmont steppe with Qurzisia 
 macrophylla and the golden Ranumculis. nivicola in full bloom are sights not 
al forgotten. 
Regarding scent, perbaps 22 p. c. of the species are sweet-scented: in 
‚some cases the flowers may be inconspicuous, €. g. — - Stackhousia minm 
‚(lowland-subalpine) fills the air with delicious fragrance when in full bloom, its Er Ä 
= ey yellow flowers close to the ground not visible at first JE 
= 
3. Dissemination. 
The question of how the species migrate for long distances is of greater 
_ moment with regard to the high-mountain vegetation than for that of the low- 
: Ends since the local isolation is much greater. If the true alpines are alone 
considered only 7 p. c. possess succulent fruit attractive to birds, while23p.c, 
including the ferns, are specially suited for wind-carriage. If to the above be 
added those plants with hooked fruits (Uncinia, Acaena), and the earth-orchids 
with their minute seeds, the total percentage rises to 36. But therearemany 
more species with. disseminules® attractive to birds or that may readily become 3. 
attached to them, so that fully. 50 p. c. may be widely distributed. by: means of 
wind or birds, leaving an equal number unsuitable, "under ordinary eircum- 
Stances, for such methods of dissemination. In the Towland-alpine epecies the 
number suitable for Kbgäistange BEE is Er 20 P- “ ri 
