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The Vegetation of New Zealand
2. The Botanical Provinces
2. The Botanical Provinces.
1. The Kermadec Province.
This embraces all the Kermadec group of small islands. Their flora and vegetation are dealt with at some length in Part II, and no more need be said here.
2.The Northern Mainland Province.
This includes that part of North Island, as shown on the phytogeographical map, to the north of a line passing from a little south of Tauranga to the River Mokau but extending to the north of the Mamaku Plateau. Certainly this boundary is to some extent artificial and a more natural line of demarcation is lat. 38°, but it takes in far too much characteristic Volcanic Plateau vegetation and so also becomes in part an unnatural boundary-line. In the north the Three Kings Islands are included and to the east all the other small islands.
The Central Mainland Province.
This includes the remainder of North Island, Kapiti Island, and that part of South Island, already defined, up to a line passing from Greymouth to Amuri Bluff.
The Southern Mainland Province.
This includes all the remainder of South Island, together with Stewart Island. It is certainly a natural division and its flora, with but a f$w exceptions, is that of South Island proper.
The Chatham Province.
This includes all the Chatham group as already described.
The Subantarctic Province.
This includes all the New Zealand Sub-antarctic Islands as already dealt with. The sole critical matter is whether the Snares Islands should be excluded and added to the Stewart district. But the character of the vegetation is essentially subantarctic, and the presence of Colobanthus muscoides and Stilbocarpa robusta — allied to S. polaris and not to the Stewart S. Lyallii — turn the scale in favour of the position here assigned.