ca ly p tr a o f E u c a h jp tu s , s t igm a o f Goodeniacece, s tam in a l c o lum n o f S ty lid iu m , ir r ita b le la b e llum o f
v a r io u s O r c ln d e a , flow e r s su n k in tb e w o od o f som e L ep to sp e rm e c s, p er icarp o f C a su a r in a , r e c ep ta c le
an d in n e r stam in o d ia o f E u p om a tia , s tom a ta o f P ro tea c e c s.
O n th e o th e r h a n d , if, d isr e g a rd in g th e p e cu lia r itie s o f th e F lo r a , I com p a r e it s e lem e n ts w ith
th o s e o f th e F lo r a s o f s im ila r ly s itu a te d la r g e ar eas o f la n d , or w ith th a t o f th e w h o le g lo b e , I find
th a t th e r e is so gi*eat an a g r e em e n t b e tw e e n th e s e , th a t i t is im p o s s ib le t o reg a rd A u s tr a lia n v e g e ta tio n
in a n y o th e r lig h t th a n a s fo rm in g a p e cu lia r , b u t n o t au ab e r ran t or a n om a lo u s, b o ta n ica l p ro v in c e
o f th e e x is t in g V e g e ta b le K in g d om . I find :—
T h a t th e r e la tiv e p ro p o r tio n s o f tb e g r e a t c la sse s o f M o n o c o ty le d o n s to D ic o ty le d o n s , o f g en e r a
t o ord e r s, an d o f sp e c ie s t o g en e r a , are th e sam e a s th o s e w h ich p r ev a il in o th e r F lo r a s o f eq u a l
e x t e n t .
T h a t th e su b c la s s e s d is tin g u ish e d b y a g r ea te r or le s s c om p le x ity o f th e flo ra l en v e lo p e s, o r tlie ir
ab sen c e , a s T h a lam if lo r a , Calycifloi'iE, Coi'olliflorce, e t c ., ai-e a lso in th e sam e r e la t iv e p r o p o r tio n s as
p r ev a il in o th e r F lo ra s.
T h a t th e p rop o r tion o f G ym n o sp e rm o u s p la n t s to o th e r D ic o ty le d o n s is n o t in cr ea sed .
T h a t a ll th e A u s tr a lia n N a tu r a l O rd e r s, w ith o n ly tw o sm a ll e x c ep tio n s , ar e a lso fo u n d in o th e r
c o u n t r ie s ; th a t m o s t o f th o s e m o s t w id e ly diff'iised in A u s tr a lia are su ch a s are a lso th e m o s t w id e ly
d istr ib u ted o v e r th e g lo b e ; an d th a t A u s t r a lia w a n ts n o k n ow n Order o f g en e r a l d istr ib u tio n .
T h a t th e o n ly tw o a b so lu t e ly p e cu lia r N a tu r a l O rd e rs c o n ta in to g e th e r o n ly th r e e g en e r a , and
v e r y few s p e c ie s ; th e y a re, fu r th e r , com p a r a tiv e ly lo c a l in A u s tr a lia , and are ra th e r ab er ran t fo rm s
o f e x is t in g n a tu r a l fam ilie s th a n w e ll-m a rk ed iso la te d g rou p s : Bru n on ia c e tx b e in g in te rm ed ia te b e tw
e e n Goodeniacece a n d Composites, an d T rem an d re c e b e tw e en P o lyg a le c e a n d B ue ttnei'iace ce .
T h a t th e la r g e N a tu r a l Order s a n d G en e ra , w h ich , th o u g h n o t a b so lu te ly r e s tr ic ted to A u str a lia ,
ar e th e r e v e r y a b u n d a n t in sp e c ie s a n d rar e e lsew h e r e , au d fo r w h ich I sh a ll h e n c e a d op t th e te rm
A u s tr a lia n , s ta n d in v e r y c lo s e r e la tio n sh ip to g rou p s o f p la n ts w h ic h are w id e ly spread o v e r th e
g lo b e (as E p a c r id e c e t o E rice ce , Goodeniacece t o C ampanulacece, S ty lid e c e to L o b e lia c e a , C a su a r in a to
M y r i c a ) .
T h a t th e s e A u s t r a lia n O rd e r s are e x c e e d in g ly u n e q u a lly d istr ib u ted in A u s t r a lia ; th a t th e r e is
a g r ea te r sp e c ific d iffe ren ce b e tw e en tw o q u a r te r s o f A u s tr a lia (so u th - e a s t e r n an d so u th -w e ste rn )
th a n b e tw e e n A u s t r a lia a n d th e r e s t o f th e g lo b e ; au d th a t tb e m o s t m a rk ed ch a ra c te r istic s o f th e
F lo r a a r e c o n c en tr a ted a t th a t p o in t w h ich is g e o g r a p h ic a lly m o s t r em o te fr om a n y o th e r r e g io n
o f th e g lo b e .
T h a t m o s t o f th o s e A u str a lia n O rd e rs an d g en e r a w h ich are fo u n d in o th e r c o u n tr ie s arou n d
A u s tr a lia , h a v e th e ir m a x im um d ev e lo pm en t in A u s tr a lia a t p o in t s ap p ro x im a tin g in g eo g ra p h ica l
p o s itio n tow a rd s th o s e n e ig h b o u r in g .co u n tr ie s. T h u s th e p e cu lia r ly In d ia n fea tu r e s o f th e F lo r a
are m o s t d ev e lo p ed in n o r th -w e s te rn A u s tr a lia , th e P o ly n e s ia n an d M a la y a n in n o r th -e a ste rn ,
th e N ew Z ea la n d a n d S o u th A m e r ic a n in s o u th -e a s te rn , an d th e S o u th A fr ican in so u th -w e ste rn
A u str a lia .
T h a t o f th e n in e la r g e s t N a tu r a l Orde r s, w h ic h t o g e th e r in c lu d e a m o ie ty o f th e A u str a lia n sp e c ie s
o f flow e r in g p la n ts , n o fewe r th a n s ix b e lo n g to tb e n in e la r g e s t N a tu r a l O rd e rs o f th e w h o le world,
aud fiv e b e lo n g t o th e la r g e s t in In d ia also.
T h a t in A u s t r a lia its e lf, in a d v a n c in g from th e tro p ic s to th e c o ld e s t la titu d e s , or from th e dr ie st
t o th e m o s t h um id d is tr ic ts , or fr om th e in te r io r to th e sea sh o r e , or in a sc en d in g th e m o u n ta in s, th e
c h a n g e s in. v e g e ta tio n are in ev e ry a sp e c t a n a lo g o u s to w h a t o c cu r in o th e r p a r ts o f tb e g lo l)c .
T h a t th e r e la tio n s b e tw e en th e ep o ch s o f th e flow e r in g a n d th e f r u it in g o f p la n ts, an d th e sea so n s
o f th e y e a r , are th e sam e in A u s tr a lia a s e lsew h e r e , a n d m o s t r em a rk a b ly so, th e O r c h id e a b e in g
sp r in g flowe rs, th e Leguminosce sum m e r , th e Compositce au tum n , a n d th e C r y p to g am ia w in te r .
T h a t th e p e cu lia r itie s o f th e A u s t r a lia n F lo r a in n o w a y d istu rb th e p r in c ip le s o f n a tu ra l
a r ra n g em en t d e r iv ed from th e s tu d y o f th e F lo r a o f th e g lo b e ap a r t from th a t o f A u s t r a lia ; for after
h a r in g a ttem p ted to c o n sid e r th e A n s tr a lia n v e g e ta tio n in a c la ssifica to ry p o in t o f v iew , sh u t t in g o u t
o f m y v iew , a s far a s I c o u ld , th a t o f o th e r c o u n tr ie s, I h a v e b e en led to th e c o n c lu s io n th a t th e
a u th o r s o f th e N a tu r a l S y s t em — R a y , Lin n g eu s,* a n d th e J u s s ie u s— m ig h t h a v e d e v e lo p ed th e sam e
N a tu r a l S y s t em h ad th e y w o rk ed u p o n A u s tr a lia n p la n ts in s te a d o f u p o n E u ro p ea n .
I fin d fu r th e r , th a t th e c la sse s, orde rs, g en e ra , an d sp e c ie s, m a y b e a b o u t a s w e ll (or a s ill) fixed
o r lim it e d b y a s tu d y o f th e ir A u s t r a lia n m em b e r s a s b y th o s e o f a n y o th e r c o u n tr y s im ila r ly c ir c
um sta n c ed , an d th a t th e r e is th e sam e v a g u en e s s as to th e e x a c t lim it s o f n a tu r a l g rou p s, a sim ila r
in e q u a lity am o n g s t th em in n um e r ic a l v a lu e and b o ta n ic a l ch a ra c te r s, an d a n a n a lo g o u s d ifficu lty in
fo rm in g su b c la sse s in te rm ed ia te b e tw e en c la sse s an d order s, as o th e r F lo r a s p r e sen t. T h e A u s tr a lia n
F lo ra , in sh o r t, n e ith e r b r eak s d ovm n o r im p ro v e s th e N a tu r a l S y s t em o f p la n ts a s a w h o le , th o u g h
i t th row s g r e a t lig h t o n it s p a r t s ; th e A u str a lia n g en e r a fa ll in to th e ir p la c e s in th a t sy s tem w’e ll
en o u g h , th o u g h th a t s y s tem w as d ev e lo p ed b e fo r e A u s tr a lia w a s k n ow n b o ta n ic a lly , an d w a s ch ie fly
fou n d ed u p o n a s tu d y o f th e v e g e ta t io n o f it s an tip od e s.
T h u s, w h e th e r tb e A u str a lia n F lo r a is v iew ed u n d e r tb e a sp e c t o f it s m o rp h o lo g y an d stru c tu r e ,
as e x h ib ited b y i t s n a tu r a l c la ssifica tio n , o r -its n um e r ic a l p rop o r tion s o r g e o g i’ap h ica l d is tr ib u tio n , it
p r e s en ts e s s e n tia lly th e sam e p rim a ry fea tu r e s as d o th o s e o f th e o th e r g r e a t c o n t in e n t s : and i t h e n c e
appears to m e rash to a ssum e th a t it s o r ig in b e lo n g s to an o th e r ep o ch o f th e ea r th ’s h is to r y th a n th a t
o f o th e r F lo r a s, w h en th e p rop o r tion s o f it s c la sse s, e t c ., are id e n tic a lly th e sam e w ith t h e s e ; o r th a t
i t sh o u ld b e a ttr ib u ted to a d is tin c t c r e a tiv e e ffor t, i f t h is is m a n ife s ted o n ly in e ffe c tin g m o rp h o lo g ica l
d iffe r en c e s r eq u is ite t o c o n s titu te sp e c ie s and g en e r a in o u r c la ssific a tio n , w ith o u t d is tu rb in g tb e prop
o r tio n s o f t h e s e ; or th a t th e lo c a l in flu en c e o f th e A u s tr a lia n c lim a te sh o u ld b e e s s e n t ia lly d iffe ren t
fr om th a t o f o th e r c o u n tr ie s, a n d y e t effec t n o p h y s io lo g ic a l ch a n g e in th e p e r io d s o f flow e r in g an d
fru itin g , or prod u c e a n y o th e r fu n c tio n a l d istu rb an c e s o f t h e v e g e ta b le o rg a n ism s, or affe ct tb e a g en c y
o f h um id ity , tem p e ra tu r e , s o il, an d e le v a tio n , o n p lan ts.
I sh a ll n ow ta k e th e A u s tr a lia n F lo r a in g r e a te r d e ta il, and dw e ll m o r e a t le n g th u p o n th o se
fea tu r e s fr om w h ic h I h a v e d e r iv ed th e ab o v e c o n c lu sio n s.
* The real merits of Liimaius as a founder of the Natural System have never been appreciated. In the well
deserved admiration of the genius and labours of tbe Jussieus, it is forgotten that the powers displayed by Linn^us
in constnicting the Genera Plantarum was not less (perhaps gi-eater) than that exercised in grouping these into tliose
genera of a higher value, which are now called Jussieuau Orders. The history o f our Natm'al System presents but
four salient points :— I. Ray’s division o f all plants into Pligenogams and Ciyptogams, and o f the former into
Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. II. Limiajus’s fonniiig natui’al groups called Genera, and rendeiiiig a knowledge
of them accessible to scientific minds by means of a binomial nomenclature and a mixed natiu-al and artificial system
o f Classes and Orders. I I I . 'Ihe Jussieus’ combining most o f the genera o f Linnmus into truly Natural Orders,
under Ray’s classes, which classes they divided into subclasses as artificial as many of Linnaius’s classes were.
IV. The separation of Gymnosperins, by Brouui, which is the first step towards a natural classification o f the
Jussieuau Orders of Dicotyledons. (See Lond. Journ. of Bot. and Kew Gard. Misc. ix. 314 note.)