﻿T, 
  KiEK,— 
  0/f 
  iho 
  Botany 
  of 
  Islands 
  in 
  the 
  liauraU 
  Gulf. 
  451 
  

  

  height 
  of 
  from 
  fifty 
  to 
  eighty 
  feafc, 
  with 
  a 
  trunk 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  feet 
  in 
  

   diameter 
  ; 
  in 
  its 
  natural 
  condition 
  it 
  rarely 
  flowers 
  before 
  attaining 
  the 
  

   height 
  of 
  from 
  twenty 
  to 
  thirty 
  feet, 
  hut 
  on 
  Bangitoto 
  compact 
  charming 
  

   specimens 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  feet 
  high 
  were 
  covered 
  with 
  brilliant 
  flowers 
  ; 
  scarcely 
  

   a 
  plant 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  over 
  twelve 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  but 
  nearly 
  all 
  were 
  

   splendidly 
  in 
  flower. 
  Near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  cone 
  I 
  observed 
  two 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  a 
  peculiar 
  form 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  with 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  flowers 
  of 
  smaller 
  

   size 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  typical 
  form 
  ; 
  the 
  leaves 
  glabrous 
  and 
  coriaceous, 
  closely 
  

   approaching 
  1\I. 
  polyniorpha, 
  Grisellitia 
  liicida 
  exhibited 
  a 
  similar 
  pheno- 
  

   menon, 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  staminate 
  plants 
  being 
  covered 
  with 
  panicles 
  of 
  

   yellow 
  flowers, 
  much 
  more 
  deeply 
  coloured 
  than 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  them 
  elsewhere, 
  

   and 
  forming 
  a 
  strong 
  contrast 
  with 
  the 
  fiery 
  crimson 
  of 
  the 
  pohutukawa. 
  

   Meimsideros 
  rohusta 
  was 
  less 
  common 
  than 
  its 
  close 
  ally, 
  but 
  occasionally 
  

   attained 
  a 
  larger 
  size, 
  being 
  only 
  exceeded 
  in 
  height 
  by 
  Pittosporum 
  crassi- 
  

   folium. 
  Other 
  trees 
  occurred 
  in 
  a 
  similarly 
  dwarfed 
  condition, 
  as 
  Alecfrijon 
  

   cxcehum, 
  Tctranthera 
  calicavls, 
  etc., 
  but 
  all 
  were 
  cast 
  into 
  the 
  shade 
  by 
  the 
  

   bright 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  ratas 
  and 
  Griaelinia. 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  the 
  cone 
  itself 
  

   is 
  extremely 
  meagre, 
  diminutive 
  specimens 
  of 
  Leptospermwn 
  scoparium 
  and 
  

   Pomaderris 
  phijUcifolia 
  are 
  mixed 
  with 
  species 
  of 
  Geranium, 
  Gimphalluvi, 
  

   Epiluhium, 
  Erechiites, 
  and 
  especially 
  with 
  ViUadlnia 
  australls, 
  a 
  plant 
  deci= 
  

   dedly 
  rare 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Auckland. 
  The 
  whole 
  presented 
  but 
  few 
  

   points 
  of 
  interest. 
  

  

  I 
  append 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  catalogued 
  on 
  this 
  remarkable 
  island, 
  and 
  

   with 
  a 
  few 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  peculiar 
  condition 
  of 
  its 
  ligneous 
  

   vegetation 
  will 
  conclude 
  this 
  paper. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  pointed 
  out 
  that 
  while 
  the 
  plants 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  are 
  

   depauperated 
  as 
  to 
  size, 
  yet 
  m 
  other 
  particulars 
  they 
  exhibit 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   possible 
  luxuriance; 
  pigmy 
  specimens 
  of 
  pohutukawa, 
  GriscUnia 
  and 
  others, 
  

   develope 
  foliage 
  and 
  flowers 
  of 
  larger 
  size 
  and 
  brighter 
  colours 
  than 
  those 
  

   produced 
  under 
  the 
  most 
  favourable 
  circumstances. 
  

  

  This 
  result 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  the 
  joint 
  operation 
  of 
  two 
  causes 
  : 
  

   the 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  moisture 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  atmosphere, 
  and 
  tbe 
  extremely 
  

   comminuted 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  modicum 
  of 
  soil 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  plants 
  

   extract 
  their 
  nourishment. 
  The 
  latter 
  condition 
  admits 
  of 
  a 
  freer 
  circulation 
  

   of 
  air, 
  saturated 
  with 
  moisture, 
  about 
  the 
  roots 
  than 
  is 
  possible 
  in 
  stiff 
  

   soils, 
  and 
  facilitates 
  the 
  absorption 
  of 
  the 
  mineral 
  constituents 
  which 
  are 
  

   requisite 
  for 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  wood, 
  wLile 
  the 
  limited 
  quantity 
  in 
  which 
  

   these 
  elements 
  are 
  available, 
  and 
  the 
  brief 
  occasional 
  checks 
  to 
  growth 
  

   during 
  periods 
  of 
  drought, 
  have 
  a 
  direct 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  reduced 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  

   plants. 
  The 
  influence 
  of 
  atmospheric 
  moisture 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  luxuriant 
  

   and 
  glossy 
  foliage, 
  thus 
  affording 
  anotber 
  proof, 
  if 
  such 
  be 
  wanting, 
  of 
  tho 
  

  

  