﻿Cheeseman. — Botany of Tiibxmgi District. 271 



Manukau Hai-bour, the Whau poi-tage and creek, and tlie Waitemata River. 

 Its greatest length, from the Muriwai River to the ISTorth Head of the 

 Maniikau, is about twenty-two miles ; the extreme breadth hardly fourteen. 

 The area may be roughly estimated at 100,000 acres. 



The eastern portion of the district is composed of low undulating clay 

 Jiills, intersected with numerous gullies, and supports a somewhat scanty and 

 very uniform vegetation. The hills are almost invariably covered with a 

 stunted growth of Leptospermwin scoioariuni, intermingled with patches of 

 Porttaderris pliylicifolia, and Pteris aquilina, with a moi'e or less dense under- 

 growth of sedges. Occasionally Leucopogon fasciculatus, Dracophyllum 

 UrviUeanum, and Epacris pauciflora appear ; wMle amongst the whole are 

 found a few herbaceous plants, as Geranium microp>hyllum, A(xena Sanguisorbce 

 Lagenojjhora Forsteri, Gixaplialhim involucratum, a few grasses, and some 

 naturalised plants. The banks of the smaller streams, and the bottoms of 

 many of the valleys, are occupied with a close growth of various species of 

 sedges and other uliginal plants. In these localities such forms as Gladium 

 glomeratum, G. teretifoliuin, EleocJiaris groxilli'ma, Typlia latifolia, Drosera 

 binata, Isachiie australis, Gleichenia hecistophylla and Lycopodiimi laterale, are 

 especially common. 



The extensive mud-flats bordering the Whau and Waitemata Rivei'S 

 afford a suitable habitat to the mangrove (Avicennia officinalis), which in many 

 places forms large swamps. I^earer the shore, Juncus maritinius, Gladium 

 junceum, Lejitocarpus simplex, and Dichelachne stip)oides, make a continuous 

 fringe for miles ; while among many other littoral plants. Ranunculus acaulis, 

 Salicornia indica, Samohis littoralis, and Plagianthus diva,ricatus are most 

 abundant. 



There can be no doubt that the scanty flora and barren appearance of this 

 portion of the Titirangi district is, in a great measure, owing to the pernicious 

 practice of burning off the vegetation every summer. By the agency of fire 

 the patches of bush found by the sides of the larger streams are yearly dimin- 

 ishing, while in the open country many plants, once probably not uncommon, 

 have now become local, or almost extinct. Extensive areas have even become 

 denuded of nearly all vegetation, except a dwai-fed covering of LeptospermuTn, 

 only a few inches high, with occasional patches of Schcenus tenax. As an 

 illustration of the rapidity with which species are extirpated under a con- 

 tinuance of this practice, I may mention tLat I well remember seeing, four 

 years ago, the hill sides yellow from the abundance of the blossoms of the 

 kumax-ahou (Pomaderris elliptica), in a locality where now hardly a single 

 plant can be found, and that only by the closest search. 



The central part of the district, or what is generally known as tlie Titirangi 

 Ranges, exhibits a very different vegetation to that just describetl, being entirely 



