Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. 
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“two other smaller reserves are the only virgin kauri forests now 
“belonging to the State. The kauri forest is the only plant-association 
11 of the kind to be found in the world. It is therefore at present an 
“important forest museum. Before very long, at the rate at which 
“the kauri is being converted into timber, there will be no forests 
“of that kind, — in twenty years’ time or less”. 
The forest is situated near Hokianga (North Island, N. Z.) 
and extends to 23000 acres (9300 hectares) over a hilly country of 
long ridges, many of them 300 metres high, the whole area aseending 
to a western table-iand about 600 m. altitude. The forest reserve is 
not entirely occupied by trees, and includes open patches of the 
northern heath formation of New Zealand. A former much greater 
extension of the kauri forest is indicated by the occurrence of fossil 
kauri gum over wide tracts of heath and swamp in North Island. 
The digging for this fossil gum and the “bleeding” of living trees 
for raw gum has been an industr}^ of some importance, and has to 
some extent brought about changes in the Vegetation. On the whole, 
however, the Waipoua forest is a virgin formation. 
The climate is moist, rain falling on about 260 days p. ann.; 
although so far north frost is not unusual, but is neither severe nor 
prolonged; high winds are frequent. 
Plant formations. In this memoir, the author States that “the 
“forest as a whole is eonsidered as one formation, notwithstanding 
“that it differs much in different parts. This treatment shows a 
“much broader conception of a plant-formation than that in any of 
“my other phytogeographical writings, and it virtually means the 
“inclusion of all the types of New Zealand rain-forest under one 
“head.” The Kauri forest is not dominated by a single tree, but 
belongs to the type of New Zealand forest with numerous tree- 
species. The composition of the forest varies from place to place and 
gives rise to associations and sub-associations more or less distinct 
in character. The “Kauri” ( Agathis australis ) together with the 
“Tarairi” {Beilschmiedia taraivi ) forms a widespread association of 
lofty trees. The Kauri has a thick stem (1—3 m. diam.), unbranched 
in old trees for a height of 20 m. or more, and bearing a crown of 
large branches ending in numerous dense tufts of leaves. The 
features of this tree are illustrated by excellent photographs which 
show its characteristic grey scaly bark, the habit of old trees and 
the altogether different habit of young trees. The Kauri forms a 
sub-association described thus: “Few plant-associations are better 
“defined than that of the Kauri. No matter where found, the following 
“species are almost eertain to be present: Agathis australis, Pheba- 
U lium nudum, Astelia tvinevvia (Kauri grass), Gahnia xanthocarpa 
“(giant cutting-sedge), Senecio Kirkii, Alseuosmia macrophylla, Dra- 
“cophyllum latifolium, Cyathea dealbata, Blechnum Frazeri, Bl. fili- 
“ forme , Geniostoma ligustrifolium, Freycinetia Banksii , Metrosideros 
“ florida, Fusanus Cunninghamii, and juvenile plants of the following: 
“Dysoxylum spectabile, Beilschmiedia tarairi , Weinmannia sylvicolaS 
The association owes its physiognomy in part to the form of the 
Kauri tree itself, and in part to the dense and tall thickets made 
by tussocks of Astelia and Gahnia. Round the base of each tree a 
large mound of humus collects, frequently occupied by Senecio and 
the liane Metrosideros. 
Other sub-associations recognised can only be mentioned here. 
The Tarairi becomes the dominant tree on richer soils than the 
Kauri. The upland forest ist dominated in places by the Kimu 
