T h e G ym n o sp e rm o u s D ic o ty le d o n s b e in g r eg a rd ed b y m a n y b o ta n is t s a s a c la ss eq riiv a len t in
r a n k w ith a ll A n g io sp e rm o u s P h sen o g am s, an d a ll th e A u s tr a lia n sp e c ie s b e in g en d em ic , I h a v e th o u g h t
i t m ig h t b e in te r e s t in g a p p ro x im a te ly t o com p a r e tb e ir p ro p o r tio n s to o th e r P hæ n o g am s . T h e y a r e ,—
I n A u s t r a l i a 1 : 184
I n E u r o p e 1 : 194
I n tb e R u ssian E m p ir e 1 ; ICO
I n I n d i a 1 : 292
I n tb e whole w o r l d ...........................'. 1 : 315
I m a y r em a rk , th a t in s e le c tin g F lo r a s fo r c om p a r in g th e p rop o r tion s o f O rd er s, i t is n e c e ssa r y to ta k e
su c h as em b ra c e a v e r y la r g e area, a n d are m o r eo v e r to le r a b ly w'cll de fin ed a s b o ta n ic a l p ro v in c e s.
O f th o s e I h a v e com p a r ed , In d ia is in a p p lica b le , b e in g a h e t e r o g en e o u s a ssem b la g e o f t em p e ra
te , tr o p ic a l, an d a lp in e p la n ts , th e tro p ica l b e in g h ow ev e r so far d om in a n t a s t o d e te rm in e th e
m a in r e su lts . C e y lo n , a g a in , i s b o th far to o sm a ll a s a n area, a n d i s n o t a b o ta n ic a l p ro v in c e ; th e
p r o p o r tio n s o f th e In d ia n O rd e rs in i t a re, h ow ev e r , o n th e w h o le , so w e ll b a lan c ed , th a t i t g iv e s
n o rm a l r e su lts.
T h e n um b e r o f N a tu r a l O rd er s o f P hæ n o g am ic p la n ts in A u s t r a lia is a b o u t 1 5 3 .* O f th e s e n o n e
ar e a b so lu te ly p e cu lia r e x c e p t B ru n o n ia c e a an d T r tm a n d r e a , w h ic h m a y w ith o u t v io le n c e b e r e sp
e c tiv e ly ap p en d ed t o G o o d en ia c e a an d B u e ttn e r ia c eæ . O f a b o u t fifty a b s en t Orde rs, th e fo llow in g
ar e u n iv e r sa lly r e c o g n iz ed a s la r g e a n d tr o p ic a l In d ia n , a n d th e ir to ta l a b sen c e in A u s tr a lia is
c e r ta in ly a n om a lo u s ; T e rn s troe m ia c eoe { if C o ch lo sp e rm um b e e x c lu d e d ) , D ip te ro c a rp eæ , G u ttif e r a
(e x c lu siv e o f C a lo p h y llum ), O ch n a c e a , C o n n a ra c e a , B alsam in ec e , Begoniacece, V a c c in ie a .
T h e fo llow in g are a lso tr o p ic a l In d ia n , b u t a re sm a ll ; som e o f th em ar e n o t u n iv e r sa lly re co gn iz ed ,
b u t ar e a p p en d ed b y v a r io u s a u th o r s t o o th e r O rd e rs w h ic h d o e x is t in A u s tr a lia :—
Samydeæ : a family o f Bixaeeoe.
Tamarisciueæ.
Myriceæ : o f which Casuarineoe are possibly a family.
Pyrenacantheae : referred to Antidesmece or Eupliorliece.
T h e fo llow in g are tem p e r a te O rd er s, fo u n d e ls ew h e r e in th e so u th e rn h em isp h e r e , b u t n o t in
A u s tr a lia :—
Fumariaceæ : a Suborder o f Papaveraceoe.
Salicineæ : almost en tire ly a nor thern Order.
Berherideæ : ditto, ex c ep t in th e South Ame rican Andes.
Valerianeæ: ditto, ex c ep t in th e South American Ande s.
T h e O rd e rs w h ich , w ith o u t b e in g a b so lu te ly c o n fin ed t o A u str a lia , arc e ith e r p e cu lia r ly ch arac t
e r is t ic o f th a t c o u n tr y , o r ar e a lm o s t e n tir e ly con fin ed to it , are e ith e r v e r y sm a ll indeed,, or are
se c tio n s o f la r g e r Order s, a s,—
* The following estimates are founded on the assumption that there are about 200 Natural Orders in all the
Vegetable Kingdom, that is to say, so many Natural groups which are— 1. Types of structure common in most
cases to a large number o f species, and containing several or many Genera; 2. Groups absolutely definable by
natural characters, or betraying a transition to other groups by only a small proportion of their species. My views
on these points accord with those of Bentham (Linn. Soc. Journ. Bot. vii. p. 31) and Asa Gray, who also consider
200 as a fair approximate estimate of the known Natural Orders.
Stack h ou sim : con ta in in g only about 2 0 sp e cies, and o f wbich repre sentative s are found in N ew
Zealand and th e Ph ilip p in e Islands.
Goodeniaceas: very c lo sely allied to . Ca/mpanulacecB and Lobeliacece.
Stylidiea3: ditto.
Epacridem : a division o f E r ic e a .
Casuarinem: ve ry near 1
Sero tid em
^ se c tion s o f Liliacece or Junceoe.
Aphyllanthem
O th e r O rd er s w h ich are le s s p e cu lia r b u t a r e la r g e ly d e v e lo p ed an d eq u a lly o r m o r e ch a r a c te r istic
o f A u str a lia n v e g e ta t io n th a n th e o th e r , ar e :
DiHeniacem, after Australia, ahoimd most in India.
R u ta c e » „ „ ^South A frica.
Proteace® „ „ D itto .
Restiacem „ „ D itto .
Thymelete „ „ D itto .
Hffimodorace© „ „ D itto .
Buettueriacem „ „ D itto .
Droserace® „ „ D itto .
T u rn in g a g a in to o th e r c o u n tr ie s w h ich are r em a rk ab le fo r th e p e c u lia r ity o f th e ir v e g e ta tio n ,
I find th a t S o u th A m e r ic a c o n ta in s m a n y m o r e p e cu lia r fam ilie s th a n A u s tr a lia , an d S o u th A fr ica
ab ou t a s m a n y .
§ 3.
On th e A u s tr a lia n D is tr ib u tio n o f N a tu r a l Oi'ders.
I h a v e a ttem p ted in va r iou s w a y s so to g rou p th e O rd e rs a s to sh ow th e g e o g r a p h ic a l d istr ib u tio n
o f th e c h a r a c te r istic o n e s ; o f th e s e I sh a ll s e le c t th e fo llow in g a s illu s t r a t in g m o st c le a r ly , b o th th a t
th e tem p e r a te F lo r a is m o r e p e cu lia r th a n th e tro p ica l, an d th a t th a t q u a r te r o f th e c o n t in e n t w h ich
is g e o g r a p h ic a lly m o s t iso la t e d c o n ta in s th e g r e a te s t n um b e r o f p e cu lia r featu re s.
A . O rd e rs w’h ich ai'e m o s t ch a r a c te r istic o f A u s tr a lia , an d a lm o s t co n fin ed to i t :—
1. Stackhousiem has most species in the S ou th -w e st; n ex t, S o u th -ea st; f ew e s t in th e Tropics.
2. Goodeniacem
Sou tli-we st „ South-east „ Tropics.
3. Stylidiem
S outh-we st .„ S outh-east „ Tropics.
4 . Epacride®
South-east „ South-west „ Tropics.
5. Tremandi-e®
S outh-we st „ S outh-east „ Tropics.
6. Casuarinc®
S outli-we st „ South-east „ Tropics.
7. S e ro tid c®
South-west „ South-east „ Tropics.
H eu c c , Six-sovonths atta in thcii- maximum in th e South-west.
One-sevcuth „ „ South-east.
N o n e „ „ Tropics.
B . Order s w'hich a tta in th e ir m a x im um in A u str a lia , an d m o s t o f th e A u s tr a lia n g en e r a and
sp e c ie s o f w h ich arc pe cu lia r to th a t c o u n tr y :—
/