Page image

15

a—l 4

xvith Freycinetia as their liane, and the tops distant enough for the sky to be plainly visible. Such trees will be 40 ft. to 45 ft. tall. Senecio Kirkii is the chief under-scrub. The floor is uneven Again, in another place the trees are one chain, half a chain, and a quarter of a chain apart, their trunks mossed and stout or slender. Thus Beilschmiedia tawa is 19 in. in diameter, but many trees are less. The sky shows through everywhere. Trichomanes reniforme is common on the trunks. The second tier is chiefly small II einmannia, an occasional Nothopanax Edgerleyi, and Senecio Kirkii. Rhipogonum occurs here and there. Blechnum discolor is quite common, but here it does not occupy xvide breadths as so frequently in many South Island forests." Here are further extracts from my notes dealing xvith various situations in the eastern Waipoua Forest: — Going down slope into North Branch of Rive/ II aipoua. —"The trees are distant and open, and in the undergrowth is an occasional plant of Astelia trinervia. The second tier consists of /xerba, Weinmannia sylvicola, Knightia excelsa, moderate-sized Cyathea dealbata, Alseuosmia macrophylla, Rapanea salicina. There is plenty of small Freycinetia on the ground and small I 'oprosma grandifolia. " From the physiognomic standpoint the first tier is of moderate-sixed trees of Beilschmiedia tawa, which is dominant, and the second tier of straggling shrubs and small trees, together with breast-high Blechnum Frazeri and Freycinetia, also some Styphelia fasciculata, and as the creek is approached tall Blechnum capense gets more and more abundant. On the ground is some Blechnum filiforme." .... Steep bank in perfect shade. —"This is closely draped with the very dark-coloured fronds of Blechnum nigrum and Trichomanes elongatum, hanging downwards; also a few green liverworts and lichens between. Above them and out of the bank juts Blechnum vapense and some Freycinetia. In front and still more shutting out the light is a tall Hemitelia Smithii or txvo. Near by is a small gully full of tree-ferns, for the most part Hemitelia Further on, the undergrowth is dense xvith Rhipogonum, Coprosma grandifolia, and tree-ferns. There is abundance of Blechnum capense and Dryopteris pennigera. Tall trees are almost absent; ferns and I'hipogoiium supply all the undergroxvth. Here is a tall rata, there a moderate-sized Weinmannia, and here again a small Laurelia. The trees are covered with Blechnum filiforme', and seedlings on the floor are more abundant. The sky is quite open through the tree-tops. There is a large Dacrydium cupressinum, small Beilschmiedia tarairi, Geniostoma, and Bubus schmidelioides in plenty climbing over the low shrubs. From semi-horizontal boughs ffymenophyllum dilatatum hang downwards. There is some small O/earia Cunninghamii, and, where open, a little Aristotelia racemosa. Beilschmiedia tana is in abundance, and Polypodium grammitidis on the leaning trunks Here one looks through a close mass of irregular and entangled undergrowth in a small gully leading to the creek. There is, e.g.. Melicytus rainiflorus, a young Beilschmiedia tarairi, Weinmannia sylvicola, Coprosma grandifolia, <vc. One can see no distance ahead for the close greenery and slender trunks and stems. There is Weinmannia sylvicola, Beilschmiedia tawa, Geniostoma, and Rhipogonum." Slope, very steep and moist. —" Plenty of Asplenium bulbiferum on the ground. Here is Coprosma grandifolia, Geniostoma, Beilschmiedia tarairi. am! Schefflera digitata The steins are slender and liane-like. The Cyathea medullaris may be 30ft, tall. There is arching Blechnum capense xvith fronds 9 ft. long, one above the other, and forming the physiognomic mark. Their fronds are bright-green in colour, but are very frequently blotched or stained xvith dark-purple." North Branch of River Waipoua. —" Here are the leafy (Plagiochila, A-e.) liverworts in abundance. Also HymenophyUum ferrugineum is common and some H. australe. These on tree-ferns and stones of bank. Blechnum capense of great length hangs down to the water's edge. Blechnum lanceolatum is common, and more or less pressed to the ground. The boulders are covered with liverworts. A tree across the creek glistens with kidney fern. Microlana is on the ground. Slender trees of irregular shape meet and almost meet xvith their branches across the creek. The trees are /xerba. Weinmannia, Fuchsia, Schefflera (i.e., over creek). On the stones is Nertera depressa." We now cross the creek and proceed up and along the steep bank. —" There is a dense tangle of the various trees, which are low-growing and bound with Rhipogonum. These and the tall ferns (Blechnum capense and Dryopteris pennigera) all touch. There are no tall trees, but only the close growth of Blechnum capense, \Yeinmannia sylvicola, small flcmitelia Smithii, Coprosma grandifolia, Asplenium bulbiferum, Schefflera digitata, and Freycinetia Banksii. The trees are merely two or three inches in diameter. The steins are long and bare, and have their tops touching. Beneath is Blechnum capense. The creek is rushing beloxv and trickling in small streams amongst the ferns. The trees are here merely ten or twelve feet tall, and fairly close. All that strikes the eyi is a close tangle of greyish stems and branches, and green arching ferns, and circulate paler green and reddish young leaves and buds. Here and there is some Freycinetia. The straight stems, always mote or less moss-covered, are one, txvo, or even more feet distant, and may be parallel or the contrary. Out of the close mass a black tree-fern rises out occasionally, especially towards the upper margin of the gully." On to flic ground above the creek. —"Here, again, is normal forest. The trees are 50ft. tall, and the forest is open and flat. It consists of Podocarpus ferrugineus. a large amount of Weinmannia sylvicola. Beilschmiedia tawa, Melicytus ramiflorus, groves of Dicksonia squarrosa, and a certain amount of Dacrydium cupressinum, with Freycinetia as the liane. As under-shrubs are Myrtus hullata and Senecio Kirkii.' All over the ground is Freycinetia, the height of a man, together xvith Blechnum Frazeri and HymenophyUum demissum in sheets, xvith many small, shrubby groxvths, and above these low-trunked Dicksonia squarrosa, while there is also an occasional

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert