182 
Floristik, Geographie, Systematik ete. 
(.Dacrydium cupressinum) , in other places by Beilschmiedia tawa 
and Weinmannia sylvicola. Swamps also occur and are arranged 
into two groups: 1) those in which Podocarpus dacrydioides prevails; 
2) those with Gahnia and Freycinetia Banksii dominant. 
The Northern Heath. This, as already shewn by Cockayne, is 
an important element of the northern floristic province of N. Zea- 
land. The Manuka (. Leptospermum scoparium) is the dominant plant. 
The plants of the heath are strongly xerophytic, a condition demanded 
b} r the dry ground in summer and the peaty water of other seasons. 
“Small leaves of the ericoid habit, isolateral stems and leaves, pro¬ 
strate growth, and coriaceous hard leaves, are among some of the 
principal adaptations”. The presence of much buried Kauri gum in 
these heaths shows that the} T were formerly Kauri forest, and several 
tracts are included in the Waipoua reserve. 
In a summary of the general ecolog 3 T of the forest, the author 
points out that: “Variations in altitude account for the zonal arran- 
gement of the forest, certain of the northern plants being very close 
to their cold-enduring capacity”. Light also plays a leading part in 
the development of the undergrowth, and wind acts partly through 
its effect on transpiration, partly because of damage done to the 
canopy and to the trees. Under special ecology will be found a 
number of notes on trees and shrubs, lianes, epiph} T tes, film} r ferns 
and tree ferns and on the occurrence of persistent juvenile forms. 
All the trees and shrubs are evergreen, with two exceptions, a 
considerable proportion of them bear reproductive Organs both on 
the juvenile and adult forms (cf. Di eis, Bot. Cent. 107, p. 210). Spe¬ 
cial attention is drawn to the fact that most of the lianes and epi- 
phytes may occur as ground-forms, thus Senecio Kirkii is invariabty 
a ground plant in the Waipoua but is almost always an epiphyte 
in the forests in the South of North Island. 
History of the Vegetation. 178 flowering plants and 63 ferns and 
fern-allies were noted, and are arranged in a list (p. 32—43) which 
also gives the native names, the distribution within and outside of 
N. Zealand, the plant association in which each occurs, and a 
brief description of the life-form. If onty the forest plants are con- 
sidered and the pteridophytes omitted, then out of a total of 127 
species mostly trees and shrubs, no less than 120 are endemic; good 
evidence that the Kauri forest is typicall 3 T New Zealand. The Kauri 
is one of the representative trees of Cocka 3 r ne’s northern floristic 
province which lies north of 38° S. lat,; the conditions which deter- 
mine this province are not purel 3 T climatic, and the author inclines 
to the view that: “the North Island was at one time an archipelago, 
a straight cutting off virtual^ what is now the northern floristic 
province”. On the other hand, this province was connected with 
Australia and the Malay Archipelago. The Üfe-histor 3 T of the 
Kauri forest itsell is linked up with the Northern Heath which is a 
potential forest. “It seems to me (sa 3 ?r s Cockayne) that if heath were 
“let alone and the climate was favourable, Weinmannia-Leptospermum 
“forest would result, this followed in due course b 3 T Kauri forest 
“proper. In like manner we have the reversal to heath”. 
W. G. Smith. 
Gräbner, P„ Die Pflanzenwelt Deutschlands. (XI, 374 pp. 
Mit 129 Abb. Leipzig. Verlag von Quelle und Mever. Preis geh. 
7 M. 1908.) 
Das vorliegende Werk ist nicht nur für den Botaniker von 
