242 



Essays. 



12. In further endeavouring to show the distribution of the plants of the 

 North Island by zones surrounding the same, the more noteworthy and 

 stable genera and species alone will be noticed. These will be divided into 

 eight zones, as follow : — 



(1.) Maritime and Littoral. 



(2.) Coast, mostly within a few yards above high- water mark. 



(3.) Lowland, — from the Coast to an altitude of 500 feet. 



(4.) Midland,— from 500 to 1,500 feet altitude. 



(5.) Upland,— from 1,500 to 2,500 feet altitude. 



(6.) Mountainous, — from 2,500 to 3,500 feet altitude. 



(7.) Sub-alpine,— from 3,500 to 4,500 feet altitude. 



(8.) Alpine,— from 4,500 to snow line. 



(1.) The Maritime and Littoral zone contains : — 



Myosurus aristatus 

 Kanunculus acaulis 

 Lepidium oleraceum 



„ incisum 

 Plagianthus divaricatus 

 Fuclisia procumbens 

 Metrosideros tomentosa* 



Apium filiforme 

 „ australe 

 Coprosma retusa 



,, petiolata 

 Senecio lautus 

 Groodenia repeus 

 Calystegia soldanella 



Mesembryanthemum australe ATiceunia officinalis 

 Tetragoiiia expansa Myoporum Isetum 



„ trigyna Samolus littoralis 



(2.) The Coast zone contains : — 



Plantago spatliulata 

 Chenopodium (sp.) 

 Atriplex (sp.) 

 Salicornia indica 

 Euphorbia glauea 

 Desmoscboenus spiralis 

 Leptocarpus simplex 

 Carex littorea 

 Spinifex liirsutus 



Senecio greyi 



„ colensoi 

 Colensoa pbysaloides 

 Pratia perpusilla 

 Sapota costata 

 Dicbondra repens 

 Mimulus repens 

 Veronica macroura 

 „ speciosa 

 „ parviflora 

 „ diosmsefolia 



Pisonia brunoniana 

 Mubleubeckia epbedroides 

 SuEeda maritinia 

 Pimelea arenaria 

 Piper excelsum 

 Peperomia urvilleana 

 Triglocbin flaccidum 

 Artbropodium cirrbatum 

 Bromiis areuarius 

 Triticum scab^um 

 Parmelia cbrysoptbalma 



Hymenanthera crassifoba 

 Pittosporum crassifobum 

 Hibiscus triouum 

 Entelea arborescens 

 Discaria toumatou 

 Corynocarpus Isevigataf 

 Gunnera prorepens 

 Sicyos angulatus 

 Eryngium vesiculosum 

 Meryta sinclairii 

 Coprosma acerosa 

 Cassinia retorta 



(3.) The Lowland zone, from the coast to an altitude of about 500 feet, 



contains : — 



Clematis bexasepala Weinmannia sylvicola Hypoxis bygrometrica 



Ranunculus plebeius Angebca giugidium Loxsoma cunningbanui 



* Tbe pobutukawa {Metrosideros tomentosa) is truly a littoral plant ; and yet (in 1841) 

 I detected it growing on tbe sandstone rocks of tbe bigb inland lake Waikare, about seventy 

 miles from tbe sea ; and I find from Dieffeubacb (Vol. I. p. 384) tbat be too bad observed 

 it growing on tbe tracbytic cbffs of tbe inland lake Tarawera (1,075 feet alt., apud 

 Hocbstetter), at about tbe same distance from tbe sea. 



t Tbe karaka {Corynocarpus lavigatd) is naturally a coast plant ; but it is sometimes 

 found growing in tbe interior, in clumps or singly, particularly in tbe more nortbern parts, 

 and on tbe sbores of Lake Taupo, wbere it bas been planted as a fruit-bearing tree by tbe 

 New Zealanders. 



