NEW ZEALAND, ETC.’
Prasopliyllum Colensoi, H.f.
Spiranthes Nov(S-Zelandi<s, H.f.
Ortlioceras Solandri, Liudl.
Tlielyinitra Forsteri, Sw.
]Microtis_po/v//b?m, Spr.
Acianthus Sinclairii, H.f.
CjTtostvlis oblonga, H.f.
Adenochilus gracilis, H.f.
Caladenia minor, H.f.
Pte ro stv lis gramínea, H.f.
Neinatoceras macrantha, H.f.
Gastrodia Cunninghamii, H .f
Cheiloglottis cornuta, H.f.
AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA. TEMPERATE AND COLD S. AMERICA.
Prasojjliylliini Australe, Br.
Spiranthes A u stra lis, Br.
Ortlioceras strictum-, Br.
Tlielymitra ixioides, Sw.
Microtis Br.
A cianthus fo rn ica tu s, Br.
Cyrtostylis reniformis, Br.
Eriochilus au timn a lis, Br.
Caladenia eamea, Br.
Pte ro sty lis longifolia, Br.
Corysanthesy?w5/7ai«, Br.
Gastrodia sesamoides, Br.
Cheiloglotfcis diphylla, Br.
E n o u g h is h e re given to show th a t m a n y o f th e p e c u lia ritie s o f ea ch o f th e th r e e g r e a t a re a s o f la n d
in th e so u th e rn la titu d e s a re re p re s e n ta tiv e ones, effec ting a b o ta n ic a l re la tio n sh ip as s tro n g as th a t
wh ich p rev ails th ro u g h o u t th e la n d s w ith in th e A rc tic a n d N o r th e r n T em p e ra te zones, a u d w h ich is
n o t to h e a c co u n ted fo r b y a n y th e o ry o f tr a n s p o r t o r v a ria tio n , h u t w'hich is ag re e ab le to th e h y p o th
e sis o f a ll b e in g m em b e rs o f a once m o re ex ten siv e flora, w h ich h a s h e e n b ro k e n u p b y g eological
a n d c lim a tic causes.
I h av e a llu d ed to Pacific I s la n d p e c u lia ritie s in th e N ew Z e a lan d F l o r a ; th e se a re few, h u t very
well m a rk e d h y some o th e rw ise lo c a l g en e ra , as Coprosma, A s te lia , E x o ca rp u s, D am m a ra , Geniostoma,
Cyathodes, S a n ta lum , E la to s tem m a , A sc a r in a , CordyUne, a n d o th e rs, o f wh ich A s c a r in a is th e m o s t
rem a rk ab le , as th e g en u s h a s h ith e r to b een fo u n d n ow h e re h u t in N ew Z e a lan d a n d th e San dw ich
Is la n d s . U n til th e N ew Ca led o n ian a n d H e b rid e a n v eg e ta tio n especially is k n ow n , h owever w'o
c a n n o t follow o u t th is affinity, as I do n o t d o u b t th a t th e ir ric h floras will co n n e c t th e B o ta n y o f th e
Pacific, A u s tra h a n , N ew Ze a lau d , a n d M a la y Is la n d s in a v e ry rem a rk a b le m a n n e r, an d ex h ib it affiui-
tie s o f th e u tm o s t im p o rtan c e .
T h e re h a s la te ly in d e ed b e e n discove red a m o s t rem a rk a b le an d u n iq u e in s ta n c e o f re p re s e n ta
tio n b y close b o ta n ic a l affinity b etwe en very d is ta n t sp o ts, viz. th e ex isten c e o f th r e e o f th o m o s t
p e c u lia r A n ta rc tic , N ew Z e a lau d , a n d T a sm a n ia n g e n e ra o n th e lo fty m o u n ta in o f K in i-B a lu , iu
Bo rn eo , s itu a te d u n d e r th e eq u a to r, viz. Drapetes, Ph y llo c la d u s, a n d .
§ II. ON THE VAEIATION OF NEW ZEALAND SPECIES.
T h e d ifficulty o f red u c in g th e v a ria tio n s o f species o r o f th e ir o rg an s to a n y sy stem is confessedly
v e iy g re a t, a n d I h av e n o t th e ne c e ssa ry m a te ria ls fo r a r ra n g in g s u ch d a ta as th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo ra
a ffo rd s ; stiU th e re a re c e rta in facts wh ich ap p e a r o f g re a t im p o rta n c e in th e c o n s id e ra tio n o f th e
g en e ra l c h a ra c te r o f an y flora, h u t w h ich a re alm o st in v a riab ly overlooked, b ec au se in th e p re s e n t
* These formed part of a very small collection made by II. Low, Esq., most of which I have described in tho
‘ leones Plantarum,’ vol. s . ; they were gathered at about 8000 feet elevation, and consisted of a mixture of Australian,
Antarctic, and Indian forms. Amongst the latter, many species of Eliododendron prevailed,—a genus unknown
south of the equator in the Old World, and here associated with Bacrydium, Bpacridex, and the above-
mentioned Antarctic genera, which are almost unknown in the northern hemisphere.
s ta te o f o n r k n ow led g e th e y a re n o t o f p ra c tic a l ap p lic a tio n . S u c h a r e— 1. T h e re la tiv e n um b e r an d
ex te n t o f g en e ra , th e lim its to whose species i t is difficult to as s ig n , owin g to th e v a ria b le n e s s o f th e ir
o rg an s.— 3. T h e n um b e r o f species w h ich m a te ria lly v a ry h y a lte rin g th e ir fo rm a n d h a b i t d u rin g
d iffe ren t p erio d s o f tlie ir g row th , a n d o f th o s e whose v a ria tio n s seem in d e p e n d e n t o f ag e , c lim a te , o r
co n d itio n .
T h e re a re m a n y m in o r c o n s id e ra tio n s th a t a re eq u a lly w e ll w o rth y o f s tu d y w ith th e above, h u t
which can o n ly h e tr e a te d o f in d e ta il, a n d s tu d ie d b y lo c a l b o ta n is ts ; su ch as v a ria tio n in size, s ta tu
r e , colom-, a n d m a n y o th e r p a rtic u la rs w h ich do n o t p ro d u c e a n y g e n e ra lly a dm itte d d ifficu lty in
reco g n iz in g species.
1 . T h e g e n e ra wh o se species a re ex trem e ly v a riab le a re—
O f v e iy g en e ra l d is trib u tio n , 45 ;—
Clematis.
Ranunculus.
Linum.
Geranium.
Oxalis.
Epilobium.
Gnaphalium.
Pittosporum.
Coriaria.
Cassinia.
Elatostemma.
Pterostylis.
*Anisotome.
Celmisia.
Taraxacum. Gaultheria. Parietaria.
Lobelia. Polygonum. Dodonæa.
Euphrasia. Hypericum. Senecio.
Cardamine. Apium. Calystegia.
Rubus. Olea. Potamogetón.
Wahlenbergia. Urtica. Veronica.
Plantago. Gentiana. Luzula.
;onfined g eo g rap h ic a l d is trib u tio n , 3 4 :—
Pimelia. Oreomyrrhis. ^Carmichælia.
Oreobolus. Craspedia. *Tupeia.
^tloheria. Tro phis. Ozothamnus.
Leptospermum. Aristotelia. Leptocarpus.
Dracophyllum. Coprosma. Elæocarpus.
Prasophyllura. Ourisia. Leptinella.
H^hormium. Tlielymitra. Santalum.
Pelargonium.
Sonchus.
5 gen. Cyperaceæ.
10 gen. Grasses.
Microtis.
Weinmannia.
^Alseuosmia.
Parsonsia.
Calorophus.
Calceolaria.
(û.) T h e firs t obvious re s u lt o f tb i s classificatio n is th e gi’e a t n um b e r o f v a ria b le g e n e ra , am o u n tin
g to 79 o u t o f 2 8 2 , o r u pw a rd s o f o n e -th ird ; a n d th a t th e m o re o r le ss lo c a l g e n e ra a re r a th e r m o re
v a riab le th a n th e widely diffused ; fo r I fin d in th e wh o le flo ra th a t th o s e g e n e ra com m o n to a ll q u a r te
rs o f th e glo b e a re to th o s e co n fin ed chiefly to A u s tra lia a n d T a sm a n ia as 1 3 2 to 1 5 0 , o r n e a rly o n e -
h a lf o f th e whole flora : w h e re a s th e I’a ria b le lo c a l g e n e ra a rc to th e v a ria b le w id ely d is trib u te d in
th e p ro p o rtio n o f 3 4 to 4 5 . As, h owever, th e d iv isio n in to lo c a l a n d p e c u lia r g e n e ra is som ew h at
a rb itra ry , an d th a t in to v a riab le an d c o n s ta n t m u c h m o re so, th e s e co n c lu sio n s a rc n e c e ss a rily ^-ague.
P e rh ap s a m o re in te llig ib le com p a riso n m a y b e m a d e b y ex am in in g tb e a b so lu te ly en d em ic g en e ra .
O f th e se th e re a re 27, o r o n e -tc n th o f all th e g e n e ra in th e flora, a n d six o n ly (or o n e-fifth ) o f th e s e
a re v e ry v a riab le ; wh en ce i t would ap p e a r th a t th e r e is a b so lu te ly less te n d e n c y to v a ry , am o n g s t tb e
en d em ic g en e ra , th a n am o n g st th o s e m o re w id ely d isp ersed .
(/;.) W ith re g a rd to th e widely diffused g e n e ra th a t ai’c vai’ia b lc in N ew Z e a la n d , m o s t o f
th em a re so in all q u a rte rs o f th e globe, b u t p re s e n t little u n ifo rm ity iu am o u n t o f v a ria tio n ;
th u s Rahiis, o f wh ich th e r e is o n ly o n e in N ew Z e a lan d , a u d th a t a n e x trem e ly v a ria b le species,
ha s v e ry few rep re s en ta tiv e s in A u s tra lia , a u d th o s e n o t p a rtic u la rly v a r ia b le ; v e ry m a n y in
* Those markutl with an astei'isk arc citlicr absolutely peculiar to New Zealand, or found elsewhere iu Norfolk
Island only, as Phormium; or iu Lord Auckland’s (iroup, as Anisotome.