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BOTANY. 
Celmisia, Ranunculus, and Gentiana are found, of which several 
have not yet been described. The surface of the ground too is often 
covered with a carpet of small flowering plants, Donatia and 
Raoulia, amongst which a new species of Raoulia occur, much larger 
than the grandiflora of Hooker. But the most interesting plant is 
another Raoulia, found on Mount Robert, at an altitude of 6,000 
feet, forming semi-globular masses, often three to four feet in 
diameter, and covered with small yellow flowers. This plant 
was first discovered by Drs. Sinclair and Monro, on the summit 
of Mount Mowatt. 
I have observed, in crossing various ranges of mountains in this 
province, that the vegetation is much affected by aspect. Forest, 
for example, which on the north-west side of a mountain maintains 
a full and luxuriant growth, in the eastern and south-eastern sides 
of the same mountain, without any alteration in the character of 
rocks, or of the surface soil, becomes stunted in growth, covered 
with mosses, lichens, and indeed exhibiting in every respect the 
characters of sub-Alpine growth. Of course this only becomes 
palpable when the elevation exceeds 2,500 to 3,000 feet; but I 
believe that careful observations would show, that although in the 
lower altitudes the growth may not be materially altered, as 
regards mere bulk, the value of the timber for economic purposes 
is affected by exposure to a south-eastern aspect. This, of course, 
is to be referred to the coldness of the winds from that quarter, 
which in general are also dry winds, while those from the north 
and north-west are warm and moist. 
From the height of 1,200 feet upwards the Fagus is generally 
the principal forest tree ; below this altitude it is intermixed with 
other trees, and then grows to a large size. I met with several 
specimens in the upper Grey, having a circumference of twenty 
feet. Amongst the trees with which it is commonly mixed in the 
lower ground are the matai (Podocarpus spicata), hinau (Eleo- 
carpus hinau), totara (Podocarpus totara), kahikatea (Podocarpus 
dacrydioides), rimu (Dacrydium capressium), miro (Podocarpus 
ferruginea), and others. Amongst the smaller trees and bushes 
the Panax and Aralia are most ornamental, from the beauty of their 
large and glossy leaves. At an altitude of 400 to 500 feet, where 
the soil is good, the totara often predominates. 
In the gullies I found abundance of fern trees, sometimes 
ranging as high as 2,000 feet; amongst them the Dieksonia 
lanata and Cyathea Smithii were the most numerous ; but I also 
occasionally saw the Cyathea medularis (the mamaku of the 
natives), the stem and shoots of which they prepare as an article 
of food, although more frequent near the coast than in the 
interior. 
The vegetation of the mountains near the Grey plains forms a 
striking contrast with that near the lakes. There, on Mounts 
Robert and Murchison, where the black birch becomes dwarfish 
