﻿446 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Botany, 
  

  

  features 
  in 
  tlio 
  sylvestral 
  vegetation 
  was 
  tlie 
  occurrence 
  of 
  large 
  tracts 
  

   of 
  tea-tree 
  forest 
  (Lepiospermiun 
  ericoides), 
  tliese 
  were 
  so 
  extensive 
  and 
  

   afforded 
  such 
  excellent 
  firewood 
  tliat 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  the 
  chief 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  Auckland 
  firewood 
  supply 
  was 
  derived 
  from 
  Waiheke. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  

   tliat 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  supply 
  from 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  settlers, 
  

   Government 
  reserves 
  wers 
  illegally 
  denuded 
  of 
  thousands 
  of 
  tons 
  by 
  

   squatters, 
  who 
  considered 
  it 
  a 
  violation 
  of 
  first 
  principles 
  to 
  pay 
  any 
  

   thing 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  royalty, 
  or 
  acknowledge 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  a 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  that 
  did 
  not 
  consider 
  the 
  assertion 
  of 
  its 
  rights 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  importance. 
  

   The 
  value 
  of 
  this 
  tree 
  for 
  small 
  piles 
  and 
  for 
  fencing 
  purposes 
  tended 
  

   largely 
  to 
  accelerate 
  its 
  destruction, 
  so 
  that 
  notwithstanding 
  its 
  former 
  

   abundance 
  there 
  is 
  now 
  very 
  little 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  island, 
  and 
  the 
  trivial 
  

   amount 
  of 
  firewood 
  still 
  exported 
  is 
  of 
  inferior 
  quality. 
  

  

  Amongst 
  the 
  ornamental 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubs 
  which 
  abound 
  on 
  the 
  island 
  

   are 
  Quintiaia 
  serrata, 
  with 
  its 
  handsome 
  peach-colouredblossom, 
  Weinmannia 
  

   silvicula, 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  showy 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  its 
  

   southern 
  ally, 
  the 
  ngaio, 
  [Mijoponnn 
  Icctum), 
  Fuchsia 
  excortlcata, 
  Olearla 
  

   canninijhamu 
  with 
  its 
  numerous 
  corymbs 
  of 
  white 
  flowers 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  colony; 
  and 
  O./uy/ztracea 
  restricted 
  to 
  the 
  north; 
  CarmichaiUa 
  

   auslralis, 
  Metrodderos 
  florlda, 
  Clematis 
  indivlsa, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  species 
  

   characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  Northern 
  forest. 
  Two 
  plants, 
  however, 
  require 
  special 
  

   notice. 
  Coprosma 
  arhorea, 
  the 
  largest 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus, 
  forms 
  a 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  less 
  luxuriant 
  forest 
  growth 
  in 
  several 
  localities, 
  but 
  

   as 
  the 
  wood 
  of 
  this 
  tree 
  gives 
  off 
  an 
  unpleasant 
  odour 
  when 
  burning, 
  it 
  is 
  

   usually 
  left 
  standing 
  by 
  the 
  firewood 
  cutters, 
  although 
  occasionally 
  sought 
  

   after 
  by 
  the 
  inlayer 
  oil 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  peculiar 
  yellow 
  colour. 
  Alseuosinia 
  

   macrophylla, 
  so 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  undergrowth 
  of 
  the 
  Northern 
  forest 
  

   generalh', 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  its 
  pendulous 
  crimson 
  

   flowers 
  diffusing 
  their 
  grateful 
  perfume 
  over 
  a 
  considerable 
  area. 
  The 
  so- 
  

   called 
  kauri 
  grass 
  (Astdia 
  trinerviaj, 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  forest 
  

   districts. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  cliffs, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  forests 
  by 
  the 
  sea, 
  the 
  splendid 
  

   pohutukawa 
  {Melrosideros 
  tomentosa) 
  attains 
  a 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  is 
  still 
  plentiful, 
  

   although 
  often 
  recklessly 
  destroyed. 
  Sapota 
  costata 
  occurs 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  sheltered 
  

   bays, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  of 
  large 
  size, 
  Plttospnrum 
  crassifolium 
  is 
  occasionally 
  

   seen, 
  but 
  only 
  near 
  the 
  beach 
  ; 
  Hymenanthera 
  Lasmauica 
  was 
  observed 
  on 
  

   the 
  Onitangi 
  sands, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  maritime 
  plants 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  

   by 
  careful 
  search. 
  

  

  The 
  open 
  ground 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  fern 
  (Pteris 
  esculcnta) 
  or 
  with 
  scrubby 
  

   manuka 
  [Lrptospcrmuoi 
  scoparlum), 
  intermixed 
  with 
  a 
  sparse 
  growth 
  of 
  dwarf 
  

   shrubs, 
  grasses 
  and 
  other 
  herbaceous 
  plants 
  ; 
  amongst 
  the 
  former, 
  Poma- 
  

  

  