324 Transactions. — Bota ny. 



luxuriance ; thickets of tupakihi {Goriaria ruscifolia, Br.,) are frequent, and of 

 large size. Occasional patches of Lycopodium densum and Pomaderris phyli- 

 cifolia are found, but are decidedly rare when compared with their abundance 

 north of the Waitemata. The forest through which the road passes is 

 composed chiefly of Nesodaphne tawa, Metrosideros robusta, Fodocarpus tofara, 

 P. ferruginea. Atherosperma novce-zealandicBy Tetranthera calicaris, Knightia 

 excelsa, and Suttonia australis; Cyatliea dealhata, G. Tnedtdlaris, Dicksonia squar- 

 Tosa, and D. antarctica were frequent, in many localities the last named being 

 the prevalent form, and exhibiting a marked extension of its range north- 

 wards. Erechtites prenantlioides is abundant on moist banks. In places 

 where the forest has been cleared for the line of telegraph a dense rank 

 growth of Solanum aviculare and Fuchsia excorticata has made its appearance. 

 These plants, sometimes alternating with Pteris esculenta and Gleichenia 

 circinata are the first to occupy the soil after the destruction of forest in the 

 northern part of the province. Their seeds must often have been lying 

 dormant for lengthened periods as the phenomenon takes place in districts 

 where mature plants are absent or extremely rare. 



EOTOITI. 



At the pa Mourea, on the narrow strip of land which separates Rotoiti 

 from Kotorua is the largest specimen of Goprosma haueriana I have seen. At 

 a short distance it may readily be mistaken for the kohe-kohe {Dysoxylwn 

 sjoectahile, Hook, f.) It is said to have been planted by Hatupatu, a chief of 

 the district, who also planted the pohutukawa on the Island of Mokoia, and 

 attempted to naturalize the snapper in the waters of Rotorua, thus on a 

 limited scale anticipating the efforts of the acclimatization societies of the 

 present day. The Ohua stream, which connects Rotorua with Rotoiti, 

 contained masses of Myriophyllum varioifolium, Potamogeton, n.s., Gallitriche 

 muelleri, Azolla rubra, Lemna minor, etc. A close growth of uliginal plants 

 occupied the margin of the lake, but presented nothing worthy of special 

 mention. Glossostigma elatinoides formed extensive patches in various places, 

 often submerged. 



On the high ground above Rotoiti Poa australis, var. Icevis, was first 

 observed but sparingly ; on approaching Te ISTgae it becomes more abundant, 

 and is intermixed with Danthonia setni-annularis, Microlcena stipoides and 

 Leucopogon frazeri. Its isolated dwarf tussocks become abundant in the 

 small valleys further south, and at a distance present a similar appearance to 

 the northern Dichelachne stipoides, so common on sea shores and the margins 

 of mud-flats. In nutritive qualities it is greatly inferior to the typical form 

 which occurs sparingly on the Auckland Isthmus. 



