plants; 18 bushy plants, including 14 shrubs; These may be grouped as 90 herbaceous, 13 semi-woody, and 21 woody plants. While in places all the shrubs appear to be true members of the association, in others they are relicts or remnants of former scrub communities.

The dominant plant throughout is Danthonia flavescens, varying in circumference and height according to exposure, elevation, and to the degree of severity of burning to which it has been subjected. There are no plants assuming sub-dominance, but more or less plentiful are: Lycopodium fastigiatum, Carex breviculmis, Deyeuxid aveiuoides var. brachyantha, Danthonia pilosa, Danthonia semi-annularis, Agrostis pilosa, Luzula campesiris vars., Viola Cunninghamii, Epilobium chloraefolium var. verum, Anisotome, aromatica vars., Leucopogon Fraseri, Gentiana corymbifera, Euphrasia zealandica, Nertera dichondraefolia, Lagenophora petiolata, Helichrysum filicaule, H. bellidioides, Celmisia spectabilis, Senecio bellidioides, and at the higher levels Celmisia Lyallii and Hierochloe Fraseri. Other generally distributed species are Blechnum penna marina, Poa Colensoi, Agropyron scabrum, Stellaria gracilenta, Geranium sessiliflorum vars., Pimelea pseudo-Lyallii, Anisotome filifolia, Gaultheria depressa, Celmisia gracilenta. Of exotics *Hypochaeris radicata and *Rumex Acetosella are to be met with throughout, especially in the drier areas, while at lower levels the species found in low tussock-grassland may also be met with.

On the sunny exposed slopes, especially as one ascends, the association is more open than elsewhere, largely owing to the periodical burning of the tussocks, which in the upper portions of the belt has induced an extensive fell-field closely resembling the true lower subalpine fell-field. Celmisia spectabilis is here extremely abundant, and Acaena Sanguisorbae var. pusilla, elsewhere insignificant, becomes, frequent. Koeleria sp., Deyeuxia avenoides var. brachyantha, Poa Colensoi, *Anthoxanthum odoratum, Geranium sessilifiorum vars., and Scleranthus biflorus are more frequent than in the less affected parts.

In the closed association of the southern-facing slopes the above mentioned plants become much less conspicuous, their places being taken by Anisotome aromatica vars., Acaena Sanguisorbae var. pilosa, Viola Cunninghamii, Hydrocotyle novae-zelandiae var. montana. Gaultheria depressa, Forstera Bidwillii, and especially by a marked amount of Celmisia coriacea, Senecio bellidioides. Here too are frequent colonies of Phormium Colensoi, Aciphylla Colensoi, Astelia Cockaynei, Hebe buxifolia var. odora, Hebe sp. (aff. H. Traversii), and in places Coprosma, serrulata. The vegetation becomes much more luxuriant, and exotic species are rare or completely absent over wide areas. These variations are repeated on a minor scale and in a less complete way with the varying aspects of the secondary ridges. On some steep, shaded slopes Blechnum, capense becomes dominant; its brown sheets recognizable from afar, and forming outliers of the Blechnum capense—Phormium Colensoi belt next described.

Flushed areas on concave slopes have present in exceptional abundance Carex ternaria, Schoenus pauciflorus, Oreobolus pectinatus,

Viola Cunninghamii, Forstera Bidwillii, Phyllachne Colensoi, Ourisia caespitosa, and a true bog-community may be developed.

The upper portions of the tall tussock-grassland on the steep slopes leading to the main divide have a very distinct appearance, but the transition is a very gradual one. There is great abundance of Celmisia Lyallii, often of very large size and becoming almost sub-dominant. The soil is of a raw peaty character, almost boggy over much of the slopes, while the snow cover is dense in winter, and remains long. Danthonia flavescens forms smaller tussocks, less densely placed, and between the major plants occur in plenty Astelia montana, A. Petriei, Celmisia coriacea, and within the tussocks Hierochloe Fraseri. Very common too are Lycopodium fastigiatum, Poa imbecilla var., Microlaena Colensoi, Viola Cunninghamii, Gaultheria depressa, Forstera Bidwillii, Ourisia caespitosa, Coprosma repens, Anisotome aromatica vars., Celmisia discolor. The shrubs Dracophyllum uniflorum, Hebe buxifolia var. odora, Hebe lycopodioides, are frequent. On similar slopes receiving rather more sun and wind the ground between the tussocks may be almost bare. In such areas Aciphylla, Colensoi is often conspicuous.

Rocks in the tall tussock-grassland at its lower elevations have a similar assemblage of species to that of the low tussock-grassland rocks. Dry rocks, however, have a greater differentiation of species according to the amount of sun received. On the sun-baked rocks the main species are. Blechnum penna marina, Poa Colensoi, Luzulu campestris vars., Danthonia setifolia, Epilobium pubens (at the lower elevations only), Muehlenbeckia complexa, Leucopogon Fraseri, Pentachondra pumila, Scleranthus biflorus, Helichrysum filicaule, Brachycome Sinclairii (stunted). Shaded rocks are characterized by much more frequent Asplenium Richardi, Anisotome aromatica vars., Suttonia nummularia, Gaultheria rupestris, Celmisia discolor, Senecio bellidioides.

Damper rocks have much the same cover as those of low tussock-grassland, but Hymenophyllum multifidum and H. villosum often make close mats on the steeper faces.

At higher elevations come the rock buttresses and rocky spurs with the Dracophyllum uniflorum shrubland already described. Along streamsides occur shrub communities, often more or less fragmentary, of the types already described, especially Hebe shrublands.

The crests of the spurs are razor-backed and rocky, contrasting with the rounded crests of the lower portions. Characteristic plants, in quantity, of these ridges are Blechnum penna marina, Lycopodium fastigiatum, Halorrhagis procumbens, Leucopogon Fraseri, Pentachondra pumila, with the tussocks of Danthonia flavescens and the rosettes of Celmisia spectabilis smaller and further apart than elsewhere. Frequent also is a woolly form of Craspedia uniflora, near akin to Craspedia alpina. Burning intensifies this open condition, and then Pteridium esculentum, Raoulia subsericea, and the exotics *Anthoxanthum odoratum, *Hypochaeris radicata may appear in noticeable amounts.

In various places shallow depressions occur, in which drifted snow collects, and slowly melting forms temporary pools. If of fair size