﻿^'7 '2 Transactions. — Botany. 



covei-ed with luxuriant forest. As to its physical features, it consists of two 

 parallel chains of hills, trending nearly north and south, and separated by an 

 intervening valley. The Nihotopu stream flows through the southern portion 

 of this valley, discharging itself into the Manukau HarLoiir, while the northern 

 part is occupied by the Waitakere River. Both these streams flow for a 

 considerable distance at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet above the sea-level, 

 and descend very abruptly towards the coast ; in the case of the Waitakere, by 

 a "waterfall iipwai-ds of 200 feet high. The greatest elevation in the district, 

 1,500 feet, is attained by Te Anatuku mountain, immediately above the source 

 of the Waitakere, but for several miles the range maintains an altitude of 

 1,100 to 1,300 feet. 



The prevailing tree is the tawa {Nesodaphne Tawa), which probably forms 

 three-fifths of the forest. Other common species are the hinau {Elceocarpus 

 dentatus), rata [Metrosideros robusta), tangeao [Tetranthera calicaris), Myrsine 

 Urvillei, Pittosporum tenuifolium, the rewa-rewa [Kiiightia excelsa), kauri 

 {Dammara australis), and rimu (Dacrydium cupressinuiii). The greatest 

 altitude reached in the district is not sufficient to exercise any marked influence 

 on the vegetation, a few species are, however, chiefly found on or towards 

 the summit of the range, and among them the following are prominent — 

 Pittosporum Kirkii, Drimys axillaris, Ixerha brexioides, Metrosideros lucida, 

 Olea montana, and Dacrydium Colensoi. Generally speaking, the nndergrowth 

 is dense, and principally composed of various species of Gahnia and Astelia, 

 supplejack (Rhipogonum scandens), Freycinetia BanTcsii, the arborescent ferns, 

 several species of Gopros'ina, Senecio glastifolitis, Myrtus buUata, and, above all, 

 Alseuosmia macrophylla, which occurs in profusion from the sea-level to the 

 crest of the hills. Ferns are abundant, especially in the deep and narrow 

 gullies, where the Hymenophylleoi are particularly well represented, and often 

 of most luxuriant growth, while in many places, although chiefly in the higher 

 central valleys, the ground is carpeted with mosses and Hepaticce, principally 

 of the genera Hypnum, Isothecium, Hypopterygium,, PlagiocMla, and Gottschea, 

 The great abundance of kauri early attracted the notice of sawyers, and I 

 am informed that the first saw-mill worked by machinery in this province 

 was erected in the"Titirangi district. After twenty-five yeai-s' sawing, few 

 timber trees remain on the eastern side, but extensive forests, almost 

 untouched, exist by the Waitakere Kiver, and a considerable quantity is still 

 to be seen between the Huia Bay and the Manukau Heads. Besides the 

 kauri, the kahikatea (Podocarpus dacrydioides) and the rimu {Dacrydium 

 cupressinum) are extensively sawn, as also in a smaller degree is the totara 

 {Podocarpus Totara) and matai (P. spicata). The tanekaha {Phyllocladus 

 trichomanoides) does not appear to have been cut for its timber, although it is 

 both excellent and duiable, while the kawaka {Libocedrus Doniana), and the 



