Art. IX.—Notes on the Phanerogamic Flora of the Ruahine Mountain-chain, with a List of the Plants observed thereon.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 46, 1913, Page 40

Art. IX.—Notes on the Phanerogamic Flora of the Ruahine Mountain-chain, with a List of the Plants observed thereon. By B. C. Aston, F.I.C., F.C.S. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 22nd October, 1913.] [Note.—Since this paper was read the author has made further visits to these mountains, and the information thereby acquired is, by permission of the Hon. Editor, allowed to be inserted while the paper is passing through the press. It may be as well to state that the author's knowledge of these mountains is derived from a week spent with Mr. J. S. Tennant, M.A., M.Sc., in the Kaimanawa Mountains (January, 1911); a three-days trip to Makaretu and Umutoi with Mr. Frank Hutchinson, jun. (Rissington), in April, 1913; a ten-days journey with Mr. Robert A. Wilson (Bulls) and Mr. Frank Hutchinson, jun., in January, 1914, when a crossing of the mountains was made from Wakarara to Waiouru over what is known as Colenso's Track; and a solitary ascent of Whariti, 3,020 ft., in March, 1914. The author's warmest thanks are due to his good comrades in these wanderings for their many kindnesses.] The Ruahine Mountains being a north-easterly continuation of the Tararua Mountains, from which they are separated only by the Manawatu Gorge, the two ranges possessing many physical characters in common (altitude, aspect, rock, water-supply, temperature), it is not surprising that the plant covering of the Ruahine Mountains is extremely similar to that of the Tararua Mountains in the arrangement of the plants into formations and associations. It will be easier in a short paper such as this to point out the exceptions to this statement which have impressed the author during four brief visits (totalling twenty-one days) to these mountains, in the months of March, April, and January, than to attempt to describe the plant covering of the whole range in a manner which the importance of the subject merits. Unfortunately, the foothills up to 2,000 ft. on the eastern side of the range have been to a large degree denuded of forest through farming operations, and a search among the remnants of forests which remain might reveal many facts worthy of record. In these foothills a species not found on the Tararuas is the beautiful Angelica rosaefolia, usually on river cliff-faces. On the river-flats a variety of Sophora tetraptera is seen, with numerous trunks springing from or below the ground, the branches having a drooping habit, and the leaves very large. Coprosma tenuifolia is an abundant underscrub of the forest up to 3,600 ft., but is not recorded from the Tararuas. One of the most striking ecological facts is the absence of Fagus Menziesii, which constitutes by far the most abundant forest-tree above 2,000 ft. up to 4,000 ft. on the Tararua Mountains. It was not observed in the lower forest of the main Ruahine Range, but in the lower forest of the Kaimanawa Mountains, on the eastern side, it is present, ascending to 3,000 ft. It is recorded from Tongariro National Park by Cockayne, and from the higher Waimarino by E. Phillips Turner. On the higher forest of the Ruahine and Kaimanawa Mountains it is certainly replaced by Fagus

Aston. - Phanerogamic Flora of Ruahine Mountain-chain.

cliffortioides forest, which persists on the Mokai–Patea Ridge up to 4,000 ft. The extensive associations of the huge fern Dicksonia lanata recall those of Mount Hauhungatahi, both in the open at 2,000 ft., growing like a Pteris, as Colenso puts it, and under Fagus forest up to 3,700 ft. The almost impenetrable subalpine scrub which occurs on the Tararuas on many exposed ridges is absent from the Ruahine Range, although the individual species of the scrub association are usually present, with the remarkable exceptions of Olearia excorticata and O. lacunosa. The abrupt transition from forest to tussock meadow or herb-field would seem to be usual where Fagus cliffortioides is the forest, examples being common on the volcanic plateau. Cordyline indivisa occurs in greater abundance on the Ruahine than on the Tararua Range. In portions of the beech forest, beds of Astelia Cunninghamii are a feature of the forest floor at about 2,000 ft. Coming to the area above the forest, the entire absence of Ligusticum dissectum, perhaps the most abundant plant of the Tararuas above 4,000 ft., is striking. Two abundant plants of the Ruahine tops are Celmisia incana and Dracophyllum recurvum, neither of which occurs on the Tararua Range to any extent. C. incana is recorded thence only on the authority of Buchanan, and D. recurvum not at all. Dracophyllum subulatum also occurs. Celmisia incana would appear to fill the place which C. hieraci-folia occupies on the Tararua Mountains. This species has not been recorded from the Ruahines, although an abundant alpine plant on the Tararuas. On the Mokai–Patea Ridge the abundance of species of Celmisia (C. spectabilis and C. incana) in the tussock meadow is one of the floral sights of the North Island. The mountain-side is conspicuously white with the flowers of these two species when seen from a distance of five miles. Other plentiful non-Tararuan constituents of the subalpine flora of the western side are Epacris alpina and Dacrydium laxifolium, while a rarer constituent is Brachycome odorata. The immense Astelia nervoca beds of the Tararuas are not to be found on the Ruahine Range, although the species frequently occurs in the subalpine zone. Something, however, very like the Astelia beds is furnished by the Phormium beds of the Mokai–Patea Ridge, eastern face, at 3,000 ft. elevation. Just below here, at 2,700 ft., some of the shrubby constituents of the lower forest flourishm a marvellous manner. Trees 20 ft. to 30 ft. high, with trunks 1 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter, of Hoheria populnea var. lanceolata, Griselinta littoralis, and Fuchsia excorticata are seen, while others occur which will considerably increase their range in altitude as given by Cheeseman. The extensive shingle-slips of the Ruahine tops are worthy of a more searching examination, but a hasty one revealed a South Island shingle-plant hitherto unrecorded from the North Island in Epilobium pycnostachyum. The flora of the Kaimanawa branch of the range is, unfortunately, much altered by introduced animals. It is, however, certainly a most promising field for future research, and will probably merit as distinct a treatment in description as do the Tararua or the main Ruahine ranges. I am indebted to Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S., Mr. D. Petrie, and Mr. T. F. Cheeseman for much assistance and advice, ungrudgingly given at all times.

List of Indigenous Ruahine Mountain Plants.‡ Except where otherwise stated, “lower forest” means the forest occuring from 1,400 ft. up to 2,000 ft., and “higher forest” that between 2,000 ft. and 4,000 ft. Lowest forest was only observed from 200 ft. to 1,500 ft. at Whariti, near Woodville. [Note.—An asterisk (*) denotes that the plant has not been observed by the author, but is inserted on the authority of Colenso (“An Account of Visits to and Crossings over the Ruahine Mountain-range: Napier, 1884”), or Cheeseman (“Manual of the New Zealand Flora: 1906”). See also D. Petrie, “Account of a Visit to Mount Hector,” with list of plants (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 40, 1908, p. 289); and Aston, “Botanical Notes made on a Journey across the Tararuas” (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 42, 1910, p. 13), “List of Phanerogamic Plants indigenous in the Wellington Province” (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 43, 1911, p. 225), “Some Effects of Imported Animals on the Indigenous Vegetation” (Proc. N.Z. Inst., vol. 44, 1911, p. 19.) A dagger (†) denotes that the plant has a higher range in altitude than that assigned to it by Cheeseman.] Clematis indivisa Willd. In lower forest, ascending to 1,900 ft. — hexasepala D.C. In lower forest, ascending to 2,100 ft.† Ranunculus insignis Hook. f. Chiefly in herb-field and tussock meadow, 4,000–5,000 ft. Occurs occasionally on river-banks, 2,000–3,000 ft.† — geraniifolius Hook. f. 4,400–5,000 ft., in herb-field. — hirtus Banks & Sol. All stations, ascending to 3,150 ft. Caltha novae-zealandiae Hook. f. In mountain bogs and wet places, 4,450–5,000 ft. — obtusa* (?) Cheesem. “Probably from Ruahine Range.” T. F. C. Drimys axillaris Forst. Ascending to 2,000 ft. — colorata Raoul. Ascends to 3,800 ft.† Cardamine hirsuta Linn. All stations up to 4,500 ft. Viola filicaulis Hook. f. Ascending to 3,600 ft. — Cunninghamii Hook. f. Ascending to 4,000 ft. Melicytus ramiflorus Forst. In lower forest, ascending to 2,550 ft. — lanceolatus Hook. f. Whariti, at 2,000 ft. Puttosporum tenuifolium Banks & Sol. In lower forest, ascending to 2,700 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. In forest, ascending from 2,550 ft. to 3,500 ft.† — rigidum Hook. f. Subalpine forest and scrub, 3,000–4,500 ft.† — eugenioides A. Cunn. In lower forest, ascending to 2,000 ft.† Stellaria parviflora Banks & Sol. 2,000–4,000 ft. Colobanthus Billardieri Fenzl. 4,000–5,000 ft.† Claytonia australasica Hook. f. Shingle-slips at 4,500 ft. Hoheria populnea A. Cunn. var. lanceolata Hook. f. An abundant constituent of the scrub at 3,650 ft. on slopes of Umutoi (easterly aspect). Ascending from 1,400 ft.† — var. angustifolia Hook. f. At 4,000 ft.† Aristotelia racemosa Hook. f. All stations, ascending to 4,200 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. In higher forest, 2,550–4,200 ft.† — fruticosa Hook. f. In scrub, 3,500–4,500 ft.† Elaeocarpus dentatus Vahl. In lower forest, ascending to 1,500 ft. — Hookerianus Raoul. In higher forest, 2,000–3,000 ft. Geranium microphyllum Hook. f. Ascending to 4,500 t.† Oxalis magellanica Forst. Ascending to 4,500 ft., on river-banks and shingle-slips. Melicope simplex A. Cunn. In lower forest. Pennantia corymbosa Forst. In lower forest, ascending to 2,000 ft. Alectryon excelsum Gaertn. On Whariti, in lowest forest. Coriaria ruscifolia Linn. On shingle-beds and river-banks to 3,500 ft.

Coriaria thymifolia Humb. & Bonp. Extensive pure associations at foot of Mokai–Patea Ridge (westerly aspect) and loose-soil situations, ascending to 4,500 ft. — angustissima Hook. f. On slips at 3,600–4,500 ft.† Carmichaeila odorata* Col. River-banks, below 1,500 ft. — flagelliformis Col. River-sides, up to 2,100 ft. Sophora tetraptera J. Mill. On river-flats at 1,450 ft. Rubus australis Forst. Ascending through lower forest to 3,600 ft.† — schmidelioides A. Cunn. In lower forest to 1,450 ft.† Geum parviflorum Smith. At 4,500 ft., on slip. Acaena Sanguisorbae Vahl. var. pilosa Kirk. All stations, ascending to 4,500 ft. — novae-zelandiae Kirk. Carpodetus serratus Forst. Ascending to 3,000 ft. in forest. Weinmannia racemosa Linn. f. In lower forest, ascending to 2,500 ft. Drosera stenopetala Hook. f. Mountain bogs, 4,500–6,000 ft. — Arcturi Hook. f. Mountain bogs, 4,300–5,000 ft. Halorrhagis alata Jacq. Woodville Gorge. Gunnera monoica Raoul. On damp banks. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Lowest slopes of Whariti. — ericoides A. Rich. Ascending to 2,700 ft. in higher forest. Metrosideros florida Smith. In lower forest, Whariti. — robusta A. Cunn. In lower forest, Whariti. — hypericifolia A. Cunn. In lower forest, extending to 1,950 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. In lower forest, at 1,650 ft.† Myrtus bullata Sol. In lowest forest on Whariti. — obcordata Hook. f. In lower forest, at 1,650 ft. — pedunculata Hook. f. Ascending to 3,200 ft.† Epilobium pubens A. Rich. Ascending to 4,000 ft. — erectum Petrie. Damp open places, ascending to 2,600 ft.† — tenuipes Hook. f. On river-flats. — Hectori Haussk. On river-flats. — chloraefolium Haussk. On vegetation lanes on shingle - slips, from 3,600 ft. to 4,500 ft. (northerly aspect). — rotundifolium Forst. In lower forest, ascending to 2,100 ft.† — linnaeoides* Hook. f. — nummularifolium R. Cunn. Ascending to 3,150 ft.† — macropus Hook. On river-beds and slips, 2,100–4,500 ft. — pycnostachyum Haussk. On loose shingle at 4,500 ft. (northerly aspect), on Te Atua Mahura. — melanocaulon Hook. On river-shingle beds at 1,500 ft.† — glabellum Forst. On river-shingle up to 1,450 ft. Fuchsia excorticat Linn. f. Ascending through lower forest to 3,600 ft.† Azorella Haastii Benth. & Hook. f. On rock-faces at 4,400 ft. Hydrocotyle elongata A. Cunn. In lower forest, ascending to 2,100 ft.† — americana Linn. In lower forest, ascending to 2,000 ft. — novae-zealandiae D.C. Lower forest. Oreomyrrhis andicola Endl. From 4,400 ft. to 4,500 ft., in herb-field. Aciphylla Colensoi Hook. f. In tussock meadow, 2,700–5,000 ft.† Ligusticum aromaticum Hook. f. In tussock meadow and herb-field, 3,600–5,000 ft. Angelica rosaefolia Hook. On river-cliffs at 1,450 ft. Panax simplex Forst. In higher forest, from 2,500 ft. to 4,200 ft.†

Panax Edgerleyi Hook. f. Ascending through lower forest to 4,000 ft.† — Sinclairii* Hook. f. — Colensoi Hook. f. Chiefly in higher forest, from 2,700 to 4,500 ft. — arboreum Forst. Ascending to 3,000 ft. on Mokai Ridge; but chiefly a lower-forest plant, up to 2,900 ft.† Schefflera digitata Forst. Chiefly in lower forest, but ascends to 3,000 ft. Pseudopanax crassifolium C. Koch. Ascending through lower forest to 3,200 ft.† Griselinia lucida Forst. Epiphytic on trees in lowest forest, Whariti. — littoralis Raoul. Ascending through the forest to 4,200 ft. in sub-alpine gullies. Growing as a tree at intermediate altitudes, a bushy shrub in subalpine gullies, and a spindly shrub, in lower forest.† Alseuosmia quercifolia A. Cunn. In forest at 1,500 ft. on Whariti. Coprosma robusta Raoul. Ascending through lower forest to 2,700 ft.† — tenuifolia Cheesem. Ascending from lower forest to 3,600 ft. — grandifolia Hook. f. Ascending through lower forest to 3,000 ft.† — lucida Forst. Ascending through lower forest to 3,700 ft.† — rhamnoides A. Cunn. In lower forest, ascending to 2,000 ft. — parviflora Hook. f. Ascending through lower forest to 4,200 ft. in sub-alpine scrub.† — ramulosa Petrie. From 3,600 ft. to 5,000 ft.; slips, herb-fields, and tussock meadow. — linariifolia Hook. f. On Mokai Ridge, at 2,550 ft., in forest. — foetidissima Forst. Ascending through forest to subalpine gullies, at 4,450 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. Ascending from 3,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. in higher forest and scrub zone.† — cuneata Hook. f. From 3,400 to 5,000 ft. in higher-forest scrub and tussock meadow. — microcarpa Hook. f. Ascending to 3,150 ft. in forest, but occurs some-times as an open-hillside shrub.† — depressa Col. In tussock meadow, 4,000–5,000 ft. — repens Hook. f. On slips, bogs, and tussock meadow, 3,600–4,500 ft. Nertera depressa Banks & Sol. In lower forest. — dichondraefolia Hook. f. In lower forest, ascending to 3,600 ft.† Galium umbrosum Sol. Lagenophora petiolata Hook. f. In higher forest, 3,600–4,000 ft. Brachycome Sinclairii Hook. f. On Mokai Ridge, 4,000–5,000 ft. — odorata Hook. f. On Mokai Ridge tussock meadow, 4,150 ft. † Olearia Colensoi Hook. f. In higher forest and subalpine gullies, 3,000–4,450 ft. — nitida Hook f. Ascending through forest to subalpine scrub at 4,400 ft.† — macrodonta* Baker. — ilicifolia Hook. f. In subalpine scrub at 3,200 ft. — Cunninghamii Hook. f. In lower forest, ascending to 2,500 ft. — virgata Hook. f. Mokai Ridge. — Solandri Hook. f. On lowest slopes of Whariti. Celmisia incana Hook. f. 3,600–5,000 ft., in slips, tussock meadow, and herb-field. — spectabilis Hook. f. In tussock meadow and herb-field, 3,300–5,000 ft.†

Celmisia longifolia Cass. From 3,100 ft. to 5,000 ft.; river-bed, slip, tussock meadow, and herb-field. — glandulosa Hook. f. Often a mountain-bog plant, 3,600–5,000 ft.† Vittadinia australis A. Rich. On dry lower grass lands and shingle-beds, 1,400 ft. Gnaphalium Lyallii* Hook. f. — Keriense A. Cunn. On river-banks, 2,100–3,150 ft. — subrigidum Col. Limestone faces, Manawatu Gorge, near Woodville. — Traversii Hook. f. var. Mackayi. In tussock meadow, 4,250 ft. — paludosum Petrie. — luteo-album Linn. Ascending to 1,400 ft. — japonicum Thunb. To 1,400 ft. Raoulia grandiflora Hook. f. In herb-field, 4,000–4,500 ft. — australis Hook. f. In river-beds, at 2,000 ft. Helichrysum Leontopodium Hook. f. About 5,200 ft., on rocks. — glomeratum Benth. & Hook. Ascending through the forest to 3,150 ft., on slips.† — bellidioides Willd. In river-beds and banks ascending to 4,500 ft., and on slips. — var. prostratum Kirk. Vegetation lanes on slips at 4,000 ft. — filicaule Hook. f. In lower pasture, 1,400 ft. Cassinia Vauvilliersii Hook. f. Subalpine scrub and tussock meadow, 3,350–4,500 ft. Craspedia uniflora Forst. On rocks and slips at 4,300 ft. Abrotanella pusilla Hook. f. Mountain bogs, 4,500–5,000 ft.† Cotula coronopifolia Linn. In gutters, lowest slopes of Whariti. Brachyglottis repanda Forst. Ascending through lower forest to 2,700 ft.† Senecio lagopus Raoul. On slips, tussock meadow, and herb-field, 3,600–4,500 ft.† — lautus Forst. var. montanus Cheesem. On slips at 4,450 ft. — latifolius Banks & Sol. Ascending through the forest to 4,000 ft., on slips and herb-fields.† — Kirikii Hook. f. Epiphytic, lower forest, Whariti. — elaeagnifolius. Hook. f. In higher forest from 2,000 ft. to subalpine scrub at 4,600 ft.† — Bidwillii Hook. f. On slips, in tussock meadow, 4,450–5,000 ft. Phyllachne Colensoi Bergg. In mountain bogs at 5,200 ft. Oreostylidium subulatum Bergg. At 4,300 ft. in wet ground.† Forstera Bidwillii Hook. f. At 4,300 ft. in wet ground. — tenella* Hook. f. Pratia angulata Hook. f. In river-beds, 1,400–2,100 ft. Wahlenbergia saxicola A. D.C. Ascending to 4,450 ft. on slips. — gracilis A. D.C. Usually a lowland plant, 1,400 ft. Gaultheria antipoda Forst. Ascending through forest to 4,400 ft. — perplexa T. Kirk. On Mokai Ridge, 3,000–4,000 ft.† — rupestris B. Br. In higher forest, scrub, and meadow, 3,350–4,400 ft. Pentachondra pumila R. Br. Tussock meadow, 4,000–4,500 ft. Cyathodes acerosa R. Br Ascending through forest to 3,150 ft. — empetrifolia Hook. f. — Colensoi Hook. f. — pumila Hook. f. Mountain bog and herb-field, 4,300–4,500 ft Leucopogon fasciculatus A. Rich. Ascending through forest to 3,700 ft.† — Fraseri A. Cunn. Ascending to 3,350 ft. on tussock meadow.

Epacris alpina Hook. f. Tussock meadow, at 3,600 ft. Dracophyllum recurvum Hook. f. From slips at 3,600 ft. to tussock meadow at 5,000 ft.† — longifolium R. Br. In scrub, 3,000–3,200 ft. — Urvilleanum A. Rich. var. filifolium Hook. f. In scrub, 3,150–4,000 ft. — var. montanum Cheesem. — subulatum Hook. f. Myrsine salicina Heward. In lower forest, ascending to 2,800 ft. — Urvillei A. D.C. In lower forest, to 1,450 ft. — montana* Hook. f. — divaricata A. Cunn. In higher forest and scrub, 2,550–4,200 ft. — nummularia Hook. f. Under shade of rocks at 4,900 ft. Olea Cunninghamii Hook. f. Lower forest, Whariti. — lanceolata Hook. f. In forest, at 2,000 ft. Parsonsia heterophylla A. Cunn. In lower forest, at 2,000 ft. — capsularis R. Br. Ascends to 2,500 ft., Mokai Ridge (eastern aspect).† Geniostoma ligustrifolium A. Cunn. In lower forest, 1,400–1,650 ft.† Gentiana Grisebachii Hook. f. — bellidifolia Hook. f. Slips, bogs, and tussock meadow, 4,000–5,000 ft. Myosotis antarctica* Hook. f. — Forsteri (Lehm.) Cheesem. In temporary watercourse at 3,600–4,300 ft., Mokai Ridge.† — petiolata* Hook. f. Solanum aviculare Forst. Lowest slopes of Whariti. Calceolaria Sinclairii* Hook. — repens* Hook. f. Gratiola nana* Benth. Veronica salicifolia Forst. Ascending through forest to 4,000 ft.† — parviflora Vahl. In lower forest, 1,450–2,100 ft.† — venustula, Col. — Colensoi* Hook. f. — laevis Benth. In river-beds at 1,500 ft. to slips and tussock meadow at 4,450 ft. — buxifolia Benth. Slips at 3,600 ft. to tussock meadow at 5,000 ft. — Astoni Petrie. In tussock meadow, rocks, and slips, 4,000–5,000 ft. — catarractae Forst. River-beds and slips, 1,450–3,150 ft.† — var. diffusa Hock. f. On slips at 4,500 ft.† — Lyallii Hook. f. Tussock meadow at 4,000 ft. — Hookeriana* Walp. — Olseni* Col. — spathulata* Benth. Ourisia macrophylla Hook. In river-beds, 1,450–2,100 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. In higher forest, 3,150 ft., to tussock meadow at 4,450 ft.† — caespitosa* Hook. f. Euphrasia cuneata Forst. Ascending through the forest to 4,450 ft. on slips, the forms at higher levels corresponding to Colenso's E. tricolor. — revoluta Hook. f. In mountain bog, 5,000–5,200 ft. — zealandica Wettst. In bog and tussock meadow, 5,000 ft. Myoporum laetum Forst. Lowest slopes of Whariti. Plantago Brownii Rapin. At edges of tarns and mountain-creeks, in bogs, at 5,000 ft.

Plantago uniflora Hook. f. At edges of tarns and mountain-creeks, in bogs, at 5,000 ft. Rumex flexuosus Sol. Muehlenbeckia australis Meissn. In lower forest, ascending to 2,000 ft. — complexa Meissn. — axillaris Walp. On river-shingle at 1,450 ft. Hedycarya arborea Forst. Lowest forest on Whariti. Laurelia novae-zealandiae A. Cunn. Lowest forest on Whariti. Beilschmiedia tawa Benth. & Hook. f. Lowest forest on Whariti. Pimelia Gnidia Willd. — buxifolia Hook. f. In tussock meadow at 4,300–4,500 ft. — laevigata Gaertn. Forms of this species occur on river-shingle, slips at all altitudes up to 4,300 ft. — Lyallii* Hook. f. Drapetes Dieffenbachii Hook. In tussock meadow at 4,500 ft. Elytranthe tetrapetala Engl. Parasitic on Fagus, 2,100–3,700 ft. — flavida Engl. Parasitic on Fagus, 2,000–3,000 ft.† Paratrophis heterophylla Bl. In lowest forest on Whariti. Urtica incisa Poir. In lower forest at 2,000 ft. Fagus fusca Hook. f. Ascending through lower forest to 3,250 ft. — Solandri Hook. f. — cliffortioides Hook. f. Ascending through lower and higher forest to 4,600 ft.† Libocedrus Bidwillii Hook. f. In higher forest, 3,000–4,200 ft.† Podocarpus totara Don. Ascending in forest to 3,600 ft.† — Hallii T. Kirk. In forest, 2,900–3,150 ft. — nivalis Hook. On slips and in tussock meadow, 4,300–5,000 ft. — ferrugineus Don. In lower forest, to 2,200 ft. — spicatus R. Br. In lower forest. Dacrydium biforme Pilger. In forest at 3,000 ft. — Bidwillii Hook. f. — cupressinum Sol. In lower forest, ascending to 2,200 ft. — intermedium T. Kirk. Abundant on Whariti at 3,000 ft. — laxifolium Hook. f. In tussock meadow and bog, 4,300–4,500 ft.† Phyllocladus alpinus Hook. f. In higher forest, 3,000–4,200 ft. Dendrobium Cunninghamii Lindl. In lower forest. Earina mucronata Lindl. Ascending in forest to 2,600 ft.† Thelymitra longifolia Forst. Ascending to 3,600 ft. in tussock meadow. Prasophyllum Colensoi Hook. f. In tussock meadow, 3,600–4,450 ft. Pterostylis Banksii R. Br. Ascending to 3,600 ft. on Mokai Ridge, in subalpine gullies.† — australis Hook. f. Ascending through higher forest from 2,700–3,700 ft.† — foliata* Hook. f. — venosa* Col. Caladenia bifolia Hook. f. In tussock meadow and bog, 4,250–4,500 ft. Chiloglottis cornuta Hook. f. On ridge in forest, 3,150 ft. Corysanthes oblonga Hook. f. — triloba Hook. f. On wet banks, ascending to 4,200 ft.† — macrantha Hook. f. Ascending to 3,600 ft. on Mokai Ridge, in alpine gullies.† Gastrodia Cunninghamii Hook. f. In lower forest at 1,900 ft. Libertia ixioides Spreng. Ascending through forest to 3,100 ft. in Phormium belt.†

Libertia pulchella Spreng. In higher forest. Rhipogonum scandens Forst. In lowest forest, Whariti. Enargea marginata Banks & Sol. 3,000–3,600 ft. in higher forest. Cordyline Banksii Hook. f. On river-banks and open spaces in forest, ascending to 2,700 ft. — australis Hook. f. Ascending to 2,100 ft. in lower forest. — indivisa Steud. Ascending through forest to 3,600 ft., where it occurs in great abundance in Phormium belt. Astelia linearis Hook. f. In mountain bog, 4,300–5,000 ft. — Cunninghamii Hook. f. Forming extensive pure associations in forest floor, 1,900–3,200 ft.† — Solandri A. Cunn. Epiphytic or on forest floor, 2,000–3,000 ft.† — nervosa Banks & Sol. Ascending in forest to 4,400 ft. — var. montana Kirk. In tussock meadow, 4,000–4,900 ft. Dianella intermedia Endl. In lower forest. Phormium tenax Forst. Ascending through forest to 4,400 ft.† — Cookianum Le Jolis. Ascending through forest to 4,400 ft.† Bulbinella Hookeri Benth. & Hook. f. In tussock meadow, 3,600–4,000 ft. Juncus effusus Linn. At 4,350 ft., in wet tussock meadow.† — novae-zealandiae Hook. f. At 4,000 ft., in subalpine scrub. Luzula Colensoi* Hook. f. — campestris D.C. Ascending to 4,300 ft.† Freycinetia Banksii A. Cunn. In lowest forest on Whariti. Potamogeton Cheesemanii A. Benn. In mountain-pools on Mokai Ridge, at 4,300 ft.† Centrolepis pallida* Cheesem. Hypolaena lateriflora Benth. In mountain bog at 4,300 ft. Scirpus aucklandicus* Boeck. Carpha alpina R. Br. In mountain bog and tussock meadow, 4,200–4,500 ft. Schoenus pauciflorus Hook. f. In mountain bog and wet ground, 4,250–5,000 ft. Cladium Sinclairii Hook. f. On wet river-cliffs at 1,450 ft. Gahnia pauciflora T. Kirk. In lowest forest. Oreobolus pumilio R. Br. var. pectinatus C. B. Clarke. In mountain bog. 3,600–5,200 ft.† Uncinia compacta R. Br. At 4,300–5,000 ft., in tussock meadow. — australis Pers. In lower forest, ascending to 3,000 ft. — fusco-vaginata Kuk. — rupestris* Raoul. — filiformis Boott. Carex pyrenaica* Wahl. — stellulata Good. In boggy ground at 4,300 ft.† — acicularis* Boott. — virgata Sol. In swampy ground, lower slopes of Whariti. — secta Boott. In swampy ground, lower slopes of Whariti. — inversa R. Br. — ternaria Forst. var. gracilis Cheesem. Near creek, at 4,300 ft.† — lucida Boott. Lower slopes of Whariti. — testacea Sol. — Forsteri Wahl. Lower slopes of Whariti. Ehrharta Colensoi Hook. f. Tussock meadow, 4,000–4,500 ft. Microlaena stipoides R. Br. Lower grass lands. — avenacea Hook. f. In forest, ascending to 3,000 ft.

Microlaena polynoda* Hook. f. Hierochloe redolens R. Br. Ascending to 4,000 ft.† — Fraseri Hook. f. On slips and in tussock meadow, 3,600–4,500 ft. Agrostis Muelleri* Benth. — Dyeri Petrie. On tussock meadow, about 4,000 ft. Deyeuxia Forsteri Kunth. On tussock meadow, about 4,000 ft.† — avenoides Buch. var. brachyantha Hack. Deschampsia tenella Petrie. Trisetum antarcticum Trin. — Youngii Hook. f. Danthonia Cunninghamii Hook. f. In higher forest, 3,000–4,000 ft.† — Raoulii Steud. In tussock meadow, 3,300–4,200 ft. — semiannularis R. Br. var. setifolia Hook. f. — pilosa R. Br. In lower grass land, at 1,400 ft. Arundo conspicua Forst. Ascending in lower forest to 2,100 ft. Poa anceps Forst. Ascending in forest to 3,500 ft. — caespitosa Forst. In tussock meadow at 4,350 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. On slips and tussock meadow, 3,300–4,500 ft. — Kirkii Buch. In tussock meadow at 4,300 ft. — imbecilla Forst. In higher forest and meadow to 4,400 ft.† Festuca ovina Linn. var. novae-zealandiae Hack. In tussock meadow at 4,150 ft.† — rubra Linn. Plants of the Kaimanawa Branch Range. Clematis hexasepala D.C. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† Ranunculus nivicola Hook. Waipakihi River, upper reaches, at 3,000 ft. — hirtus Banks & Sol. Ascending to 3,500 ft. — rivularis Banks & Sol. Ascending to 4,000 ft.† Drimys axillaris Forst. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Cardamine hirsuta Linn. Ascends to 4,500 ft. Viola filicaulis Hook. f. Ascending to 4,500 ft.† — Cunninghamii Hook. f. Hymenanthera crassifolia Hook. f. At 3,600 ft.† Pittosporum Colensoi Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft. Colobanthus Billardieri Fenzl. Ascends to 4,500 ft. — Muelleri T. Kirk. Claytonia australasica Hook. f. Ascending to 5,000 ft. Montia fontana Linn. In creeks, 2,500 ft. Aristotelia racemosa Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. Ascends to 4,500 ft.† — fruticosa Hook. f. Ascends to 4,500 ft.† Eleocarpus Hookerianus Raoul. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Linum monogynum Forst. At 2,100 ft.† Geranium dissectum Linn Ascends to 3,400 ft.† — sessiliflorum Cav. Oxalis magellanica Forst. Ascends to 4,500 ft.† Coriaria ruscifolia Linn. Ascending to 3,000 ft. — thymifolia Humb. & Bonp. Ascending to 3,000 ft. — angustissima Hook. f. Ascending to 4,500 ft.† Carmichaelia Enysii T. Kirk var. orbiculata T. Kirk. From 3,600 ft. to 4,600 ft† — subulata T. Kirk. Hitherto recorded from South Island only.

Carmichaelia flagelliformis Col. Ascending to 4,000 ft.† Sophora tetraptera J. Mill. Ascending to 3,000 ft.† Rubus australis Forst. Ascending to 4,000 ft. in forest.† Geum parviflorum Smith. At 4,500 ft., in creek. Acaena Sanguisorbae Vahl. Ascending to 3,400 ft. — microphylla Hook. f. Carpodetus serratus Forst. Ascending to 3,450 ft.† Drosera Arcturi Hook. f. 4,500–5,000 ft., in mountain bogs. — spathulata Labill. Ascending to 5,000 ft., in mountain bogs.† Halorrhagis alata Jacq. At 2,100 ft.† — depressa Walp. — micrantha R. Br. Ascending to 4,500 ft.† Gunnera dentata T. Kirk. In wet ground at 4,100 ft.† Callitriche verna Linn. In moist places and creeks, 3,500 ft. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Ascending to 5,000 ft.† Myrtus pedunculata Hook. f. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† Epilobium junceum Sol Ascends to 3,000 ft. — erectum Petrie. Ascends to 3,500 ft. — pubens A. Rich. Ascends to 4,500 ft.† — sp. nov. A chasmophyte on shady side of greywacke rocks at 3,600 ft. — tenuipes Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — alsinoides A. Cunn. — chloraefolium Haussk. Ascends to 4,500 ft. — insulare Haussk. At 3,500 ft., in damp places.† — rotundifolium Forst. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — nummularifolium R. Cunn. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — macropus Hook. In creek, at 4,500 ft. — melanocaulon Hook. Ascends to 3,000 ft., on river-flats.† — microphyllum A. Rich. Ascends to 3,000 ft., on river-flats. — glabellum Forst. Ascends to 3,500 ft. Fuchsia excorticata Linn. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Hydrocotyle tripartita R. Br. var. hydrophila Petrie. On spray-washed boulders in creeks, about 4,000 ft.† — novae-zealandiae A. D.C. At 4,100 ft.† Azorella Hookeri Drude. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Aciphylla Colensoi Hook. f. Ascends to 5,300 ft.† — squarrosa Forst. Ascends to 3,500 ft. — var. From 3,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. The dwarf variety, hitherto undescribed.† Ligusticum aromaticum Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† Angelica Gingidium Hook. f. At 2,100 ft. Erewhon Station.† — rosaefolia Hook. At 2,100 ft. Erewhon Station.† Panax simplex Forst. Edge of forest, ascending to 3,500 ft. — Edgerleyi Hook. f. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† — anomalum Hook. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — Sinclairii Hook. f. 1,000–3,500 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. Ascending to 4,700 ft.† Pseudopanax crassifolium C. Koch. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† Corokia Cotoneaster Raoul. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† Griselinia littoralis Raoul. Ascending to 4,000 ft. Coprosma tenuifolia Cheesem. Ascending to 3,500 ft. — parviflora Hook. f. Ascends to 4,700 ft.† — ramulosa Petrie. At 4,500 ft.

Coprosma linariifolia Hook. f. At 2,950 ft. — foetidissima Forst. Ascends to 3,900 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. 1,000–3,500 ft. — cuneata Hook. f. 2,000–5,000 ft. — microcarpa Hook. f. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† — depressa Col. At 3,400–4,400 ft. — repens Hook. f. Ascending to 5,000 ft. Nertera depressa Banks & Sol. At 3,500 ft. Lagenophora pumila Cheesem. At 3,500 ft.† — petiolata Hook. f. At 3,000–3,600 ft. Brachycome Sinclairii Hook. f. Rare. Olearia furfuracea Hook. f. Hitherto not recorded from Wellington Province. Erewhon Station, at 3,000 ft.† — nitida Hook. f. Ascending to 4,500 ft.† — nummularifolia Hook. f. 2,000–5,000 ft.† — virgata Hook. f. var. ramuliflora T. Kirk. At 4,100 ft.† Celmisia spectabilis Hook. f. Ascending from 2,000 ft. to 5,300 ft.† — longifolia Cass. Ascending to 4,700 ft. — glandulosa Hook. f. At from 3,600 ft. to 4,500 ft. Vittadinia australis A. Rich. Ascending to 3,000 ft. Gnaphalium Keriense A. Cunn. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — subrigidum Col. Moawhango Gorge Road, 2,000 ft. — paludosum Petrie. Ascends to 4,700 ft.† — luteo-album Linn. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — japonicum Thunb. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Raoulia australis Hook. f. Ascends to 5,550 ft. — tenuicaulis Hook. f. Ascends to 5,550 ft.† — grandiflora Hook. f. Not common; 4,500–5,000 ft. Helichrysum bellidioides Willd. Ascending to 4,200 ft. — Leontopodium Hook. f. From 4,500 ft. to 5,000 ft. — glomeratum Benth. & Hook. f. Ascends to 3,000 ft.† Cassinia Vauvilliersii Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† Craspedia uniflora Forst. var. lanata Hook. f. Ascending to 5,000 ft. Brachyglottis repanda Forst. Ascends to 3,000 ft.† Senecio lagopus Raoul. Ascending to 4,300 ft. — lautus Forst. Ascending to 3,500 ft. — latifolius Banks & Sol. At 3,500 ft. — Bidwillii Hook. f. From 3,000 ft. to 5,000 ft. Microseris Forsteri Hook. f. Ascending to 4,600 ft.† Oreostylidium subulatum Bergg. In bogs, at 4,000 ft. Forstera Bidwillii Hook. f. From 4,500 ft. to 5,300 ft. Selliera radicans Cav. At 3,500 ft.† Pratia angulata Hook. f. Ascending to 4,500 ft. Wahlenbergia gracilis A. D.C. — saxicola A. D.C. Ascending to 5,200 ft. Gaultheria antipoda Forst. Ascending to 5,000 ft. — perplexa T. Kirk. At 4,900 ft.† — rupestris R. Br. Ascending to 5,300 ft.† Pentrachondra pumila R. Br. At 4,100–5,300 ft.† Cyathodes acerosa R. Br. Ascends to 4,000 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. 2,000–5,000 ft. — pumila Hook. f. At 5,000 ft., in wet places. Leucopogon fasciculatus A. Rich. Ascending to 3,500 ft.

Leucopogon Fraseri A. Cunn. Ascending to 5,000 tf.† Epacris alpina Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† Dracophyllum recurvum Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† — Urvilleanum A. Rich. 2,500–4,500 ft. — subulatum Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft. Myrsine divaricata A. Cunn. From 3,400 ft. to 3,900 ft. — nummularia Hook. f. 2,000–5,000 ft. Logania depressa* Hook. f. From Colenso's description, which was consulted in the field, there is no doubt that this plant was found on the Kaimanawa Mountains. Gentiana Grisebachii Hook. f. — bellidifolia Hook. f. 4,000–5,000 ft. Liparophyllum Gunnii Hook. f. In bogs at 4,700 ft.† Myosotis Forsteri Lehm. Ascends to 4,300 ft.† Veronica salicifolia Forst. Ascends to 4,600 ft.† — angustifolia A. Rich. Ascends to 4,300 ft.† — parviflora Vahl. Ascends to 4,300 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. River-flats, at 3,000 ft.† — laevis Benth. Ascends to 5,000 ft. — buxifolia Benth. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† — tetragona Hook. 2,000–5,000 ft. Persistent young state on river-flats at 3,000 ft. — catarractae Forst. — var. diffusa Hook. f. Ascends to 4,000 ft.† — tuberculosa D. Petrie nov. sp., MS. Headwaters of Moawhango River, at 4,000 ft. Ourisia macrophylla Hook. Ascends to 4,500 ft. — Colensoi Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.† — caespitosa Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft. Euphrasia cuneata Forst. Ascends to 5,000 ft. — revoluta Hook. f. At 3,400 ft. — zealandica Wettst. Ascends to 5,000 ft. Utricularia monanthos Hook. f. In running bog, 4,700 ft.† Mentha Cunninghamii Benth. At 2,600 ft. Scleranthus biflorus Linn. On rocks at 3,000 ft. Rumex flexuosus Sol. Muehlenbeckia complexa Meissn. At 3,500 ft.† — axillaris Walp. From 3,000 ft. to 4,400 ft. Pimelia buxifolia Hook. f. At 4,600 ft. — laevigata Gaertn. Ascends to 5,300 ft.† Elytranthe tetrapetala Engl. Ascends to 4,000 ft. Sometimes parasitic on Dracophyllum subulatum. — flavida Engl. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Urtica incisa Poir. Ascending to 3,500 ft. Fagus Menziesii Hook. f. At 3,000 ft., in sheltered gorge. — fusca Hook. f. Ascending to 3,500 ft. — Solandri Hook. f. At 3,500 ft.† — cliffortioides Hook. f. Ascending to 4,400 ft. Podocarpus totara Don. At 3,900 ft.† — Hallii T. Kirk. — nivalis Hook. From 3,400 ft. to 5,300 ft. Dacrydium Bidwillii Hook. f. In tussock meadow, 4,000–5,000 ft. — laxifolium Hook. f. Ascends to 5,000 ft.†

Phyllocladus alpinus Hook. f. From 3,500 ft. to 4,700 ft. Thelymitra longifolia Forst. At 3,500 ft. Prasophyllum Colensoi Hook. f. Ascends to 5,300 ft.† Pterostylis Banksii R. Br. At 3,500 ft. Chiloglottis cornuta Hook. f. Ascends to 3,000 ft. Corysanthes triloba Hook. f. Ascends to 4,200 ft.† — macrantha Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — oblonga. Hook. f. Libertia ixioides Spreng. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Cordyline indivisa Steud. At 3,000 ft. Astelia nervosa Banks & Sol. Ascending to 4,000 ft. Phormium tenax Forst. At 3,000 ft. Bulbinella Hookeri Benth. & Hook. From 2,000 ft. to 4,500 ft. Herpolirion novae-zealandiae Hook. f. From 3,500 ft. to 4,600 ft.† Juncus effusus Linn. At 3,500 ft.† — novae-zealandiae Hook. f. Ascends to 4,500 ft. Luzula campestris D.C. Ascends to 5,200 ft. Potamogeton polygonifolius Pourr. Ascends to 4,700 ft.† Centrolepis viridis T. Kirk. 2,000–5,000 ft. Hypolaena lateriflora Benth. In bogs, 4,500–5,300 ft.† Eleocharis acuta R. Br. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Scirpus lenticularis Poir. Carpha alpina R. Br. Extends to 5,000 ft. Schoenus pauciflorus Hook. f. 2,000–3,500 ft — nitens Poir. var. concinnus Hook. f. Oreobolus strictus Bergg. 3,500–5,000 ft.† Uncinia compacta R. Br. — rubra Boott. At 3,000 ft., in pasture. Carex ternaria Forst. At 3,500 ft. — lucida Boott. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† — Petriei Cheesem. Ascends to 3,500 ft. — dissita Sol. Ascends to 3,500 ft. — Forsteri Wahl. At 2,100 ft.† Microlaena avenacea Hook. f. Ascends to 3,500 ft.† Hierochloe redolens R. Br. At 3,500 ft.† — Fraseri Hook. f. Agrostis muscosa T. Kirk. From 3,200 ft. to 4,100 ft. — Dyeri Petrie. Deyeuxia setifolia Hook. f. Trisetum antarcticum Trin. — Youngii Hook. f. Danthonia Raoulii Steud. Ascending to 5,300 ft. Variety with red leaves at 3,000–3,600 ft.† — semiannularis R. Br. var. setifolia Hook. f. Ascending to 5,300 ft. Arundo conspicua Forst. Ascending to 3,500 ft.† Poa anceps Forst. Ascending to 3,500 ft. — caespitosa Forst. Ascending to 4,400 ft.† — Colensoi Hook. f. At 3,400–5,000 ft. Festuca ovina Linn. var. novae-zealandiae Hack. At 2,000–3,600 ft. Agropyrum scabrum Beauv. At 2,000–3,600 ft.