Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. 
237 
the leaves are large and thin, but frequently coriaceous; flowers are 
often dioecious and small in size, while many of the fruits are 
fleshy. The formation is decidedly hygrophytic, but the leaves of 
the trees are more xerophytic than those of a northern deciduous 
forest. The herbaceous plants of the undergrowth are all perennials, 
generally tufted in habit. 
Shrub formations. A Coastal heath of Cassinia leptophylla and 
Olearia solandri is common on places where the forest has been 
destroyed. The Manuka heath, a common New Zealand formation. 
takes the place of the forest on stony soils; the dominant shrub is 
the Manuka (. Leptospermum scopariuni), with much Olearia Jorsteri. 
Coastal formations. The coast is formed either by cliffs or 
by beaches, terraces and flats consisting of boulders; there is very 
little salt marsh or sand-dune. The plants are low shrubs (e. g. 
Muehlenbeckia complexa) tufted cushions (e. g. Scleranthus biflorus , 
Scirpus nodosus, etc.); Geranium molle and other introduced plants 
are established here. 
Meadow formations. The grassland has generally originated 
in places where the forest has been destroyed; it consists chiefly ot 
introduced European grasses, Anthoxanthum odoratum being the 
most dominant. 
Rock formations. Wet rocks in the forest are covered with 
mosses and liverworts {Monoclea, etc.) and ferns (e. g. Adiantum 
affine). On drier rocks plants from the forest undergrowth, and some 
trees find a place. 
The flora includes 175 phanerogams and 43 pteridophytes; a list 
of these is given, with the Maori names, the distribution in the 
New Zealand botanical provinces, and the plant association to 
which each belongs. The flora is regarded as a remnant of the 
Vegetation of the land-bridge which connected North and South 
Islands up to the Pliocene period, and the author does not consider 
that the island is a new piece of land colonised from the adjoining 
mainland. The forest of Kapiti is almost identical in its arborescent 
plants with that of Wellington (North Island) and Marlboro 
(South Island), and all are included in the author’s Central 
N. Zealand biological province. It is significant that all the plants 
of Kapiti are found in this Central province. The animals also 
indicate that the fauna is allied to that of the same province. A 
strong plea is made to exterminate all introduced plants and animals, 
and in every way to preserve Kapiti as representative as possible 
of the flora and fauna of New Zealand. 
The illustrations are excellently reproduced photographs of plants 
and plant associations. The map is coloured to show the forest area. 
_ W. G. Smith. 
Richardson, H„ The Vegetation of Teneriffe. (Report British 
Association, York. 1906. p. 439. 1907.) 
On the Canary Islands the author observed the zones of 
Vegetation, and in a lecture (of which only a very short abstract is 
published) illustrated the chief plant associations by photographs 
and plants. As a contrast to the zones on a high mountain like 
Teneriffe, the author described his survey of flat heaths near York, 
where Erica tetralix, Calluna , and certain grasses exhibit well-marked 
edaphic zones. W. G. Smith. 
