5 . T h e sa n d s to n e ta h le -la n d p r e s en ts a n arid, ch e e r le ss la n d sca p e , d e sc r ib ed b y D r . M u e lle r in
te rm s th a t ap p ly p e r fe c tly w e ll to th e sa n d s to n e ta b le -la n d s o f th e p en in su la o f In d ia , an d in d e ed
m a n y o f th e ch a r a c te r istic g en e r a are c om m o n t o b o th . T h e s e c o n s is t o f T e rn iin a lia , M e lia , Cochlo-
sp e rm u n i, Stet'cuHa, B u c h a n a n ia , Z iz y p h u s , N a u c le a , B a u h in ia , In d ig o fe r a , E r y th r in a , G a rd e n ia ,
S ti'y ch n o s, S a n ta lum , a p ro fu sio n o f A n d r o p o g o n c o u s G ra sse s, an d o th e r sh ru b s an d h e rb s, a ll o f
w h ich th e In d ia n b o ta n is t r e c o g n iz e s a t o n c e a s th e p r om in e n t f ea tu r e s o f th e sa n d s to n e ra n g e s o f
w e s te r n B e n g a l, a n d c en tr a l In d ia .
6 . T h e s e a -c o a s ts ai-e c h ie fly te n a n te d b y a n In d ia n v e g e ta tio n , c o n s is tin g o f A v ic e n n ia , R h iz o -
phoi'ece, P a n d a n e a , S p in ife x , Z o y s ia , S u r ia n a , x E g ic e ra s , P em p h is , T rib u lu s, to g e th e r w ith Co lu b rin a ,
Ipomcea, e tc .
T o th e s e D r . J I u e lle r ad d s, as a s e v en th r e g io n , th e b a n k s o f th e n o r th e rn r iv e r s, w h ich , h owever ,
se em sc a r c e ly to afford a p e cu lia r v e g e ta tio n .
O th e r p la n ts w o r th y o f n o t ic e , a s n a tiv e s o f tr o p ic a l A u s tr a lia , are a sp e c ie s o f M u sa an d N e p
e n th e s , b o th m en tio n ed b y M 'G illiv r a y , w h o a lso is th e a u th o r ity fo r th e o c cu r r en c e o f a c lum p o f
C o c o a -n u ts * o n F ra n k la n d I s la n d , for th e P om e g r a n a te o n F it z r o y I s la n d , an d Cam jota W'ens, at
Cap e Y o rk . T h e sam e n a tu r a lis t d isco v e r ed B a la n o p h o ra fu n g o s a o f N ew C a led o n ia a t R o c k in g h
am B a y , an d n o d o u b t th e r e ar e m a n y o th e r p la n ts o f th e IMalayan an d P o ly n e s ia n isla n d s s t ill to
b e d e te c te d in s im ila r lo c a litie s .
T h e n um b e r o f sp e c ie s in tr o p ic a l A u s t r a lia appears to b e e x tr em e ly sm a ll, ow in g , n o dou b t,
m u c h to th e d r y n e s s o f th e c lim a te , a n d to th e a b sen c e o f a n y la r g e r iv er s, sw am p s, an d m o u n ta in s ;
as a lso t o th e sh o r t d u r a tio n o f th e r a in y sea so n , w h ich in m a n y p a r ts o f th e co a s t la s ts o n ly from
N o v em b e r t o J a n u a r y . M a n y d isco v e r ie s m a y y e t b e a n tic ip a ted , w h en i t is c o n sid e r ed h ow m a n y
v e r y c om m o n tr o p ic a l In d ia n an d M a la y A r ch ip e la g o w e ed s m a y b e fo u n d t o o c cu r h e r e a n d th e r e
a lo n g th e c o a s t ; b u t B r ow n sp en t m a n y m o n th s o n th e tr o p ic a l sh o r e s, and C u n n in g h am sev e ra l
y e a r s ; M u e lle r tra v e r sed n o r th e rn A u str a lia , A rm s tr o n g r e sid ed som e y e a r s a t P o r t E s s in g to n ; and
w e h a v e c o n sid e ra b le c o lle c tio n s from B y n o e , M itc h e ll, B idw ill, an d M 'G illiv r a y ; an d i t m u s t h e n c e
b e d o u b tfu l w h e th e r fu tu r e ex p lo r e r s w ill r a ise th e k n ow n n um b e r o f 2 ,2 0 0 tr o p ic a l flow e r in g sp e c ie s
t o m u c h ab o v e 3 ,0 0 0 .
M u e lle r ’s c o lle c t io n s a lo n e c o n ta in , o f p la n ts c o lle c te d b e tw e en th e V ic to r ia R iv e r an d M o r e to n
B a y , 1 6 0 N a tu r a l O rd e r s, 6 0 0 G en e ra , a n d 1 ,7 9 0 S p e c ie s , in c lu d in g C r y p to g am ia ; h u t as th e M o r e to
n B a y F lo r a ca n h a rd ly b e ca lled T rop ica l, an d as M u e lle r in c lu d e s 1 4 Orde rs w h ic h sca r c e ly ad v
a n c e n o r th o f th e tr o p ic o f C apr icorn, I m u s t ex c lu d e , perhaps, 5 0 0 sp e c ie s, in c lu d in g C ryp to g am ia ,
t o w o rk h is r e su lts in to m y e s tim a t e , w h ic h in c lu d e s 1 4 8 N a tu r a l O rd er s, 7 0 0 g en e r a , and 2 ,2 0 0
sp e c ie s.
T h e m o s t e x te n s iv e t r o p ic a l N a tu r a l O rd er s ar e ,—
A u s tra lia .
Gramine®.
Myrtaee®.
Composit®.
Tro p ica l A fr ic a .
Leguminos®.
Rubiace®.
Gramine®.
Composit®.
India.
Leguminos®.
Rubiace®.
Orchide®.
Composit®.
W e s t Indies.^
Leguminos®.
Composit®.
Rubiace®.
Gramine®.
* Captain King (Voy. i. p. 194) mentions having picked up cocoa-nuts on the beach at Cape Cleveland; Flin-
der’s (ii. p. 49) at Shoal-water B a y ; and Cook’s party found old husks at the mouth of the Endeavom' River. To ¡ill
these places the fruit or its remains was no doubt brought by currents.
-j- Chiefly founded on Grisebach’s Essay on the Plants of Guadeloupe, etc.
Tro p ica l A u s tra lia .
Cyperace®.
Euphorbiace®.
Malvace®.
Convolvulace®.
Goodeniace®.
Proteace®,
T ro p ic a l A f r ic a . In d ia {trop, amd tem p i) W e s t Indies.
Cyperace®.
Gramine®.
Acanthace®.
Euphorbiace®.
Malvace®.
Acanthaceæ.
Euphorbiace®.
Cyperace®.
Convolvulace®.
Labiat®.
Urtice®.
Euphorbiace®.
Scropbularine®.
Melastome®.
Convolvulaceæ.
Myrtaee®.
M u e lle r h a s g iv e n , in h is ‘ G en e r a l R ep o r t on th e B o ta n y o f th e N o r th A u s tr a lia n E x p e d it io n ,’
som e va lu ab le ta b le s, sh ow in g ap p ro x im a te ly th e ord er o f su c c e s s io n in w h ich tem p e r a te fo rm s appear
in a d v an c in g sou thw a rd in A u str a lia , an d th e s e g iv e u s a w id e id e a o f th e im m e n s e ly ex ten d ed d is tr
ib u tio n o f m a n y en d em ic sp e c ie s. H e en um e r a te s n o le s s th a n 2 2 5 V ic to r ia c o lo n y sp e c ie s as
oc cu r r in g to th e n o r th o f la t. 2 6 ° S ., an d o f th e s e I find n e a r ly 9 0 to b e T a sm a n ia n . M a n y o f th em
are prop e r ly tr o p ic a l fo rm s th a t a tta in th e la titu d e o f V ic to r ia o n ly in th e h o t d e se r ts, b u t m an y are
e s s e n tia lly t em p e r a te fo rm s. T h e w h o le are th u s d istr ib u ted :—
Lat. 17° 3(y S. to 2 0° S. Victoria species, 3 2 ; Tasmania, 10.
20° „ 2 3° „ 2 4 „ 6.
2 3° „ 26° „ 5 1 „ 21.
26 ° „ 2 7° „ 118 „ 52.
T h e d im in u t io n o f v e g e ta b le fo rm s in a d v a n c in g from tem p e r a te to t r o p ic a l A u s tr a lia is to a
g r e a t e x te n t d u e t o th e ra r ity or a b sen c e o f Order s w h ich , th o u g h m or e ty p ic a l o f h o t la t itu d e s in
oth e r p a r ts o f th e g lo b e , ab ou n d in th e tem p e r a te r e g io n s o n ly o f A u s tr a lia . I h a v e m a rk ed th e s e
w ith an a ste r isk in th e fo llow in g lis t o f e x tra trop ica l A u s tr a lia n Orde rs th a t dimini.sh rap id ly or are
ab sen t in th e tr o p ic s o f th a t c o n t in e n t ;—
Eanunculace®.
•D illen iace® .
Crucifer®.
Tremandre®.
♦Buettneriaceæ.
Geraniace®.
Violari®.
Droserace®.
♦Polygale®.
Rutace®.
Stackhousie®.
♦Ehamne®.
Rosace®.
♦Myrtaee®.
Crassulace®.
Cuiioniace®.
Halorage®.
Umbcllifer®.
Composit®.
Lobeliaee®.
Epacride®.
Myoporineæ.
Labiat®.
Plantagine®.
Proteace®.
♦Santalace®.
Daphne®.
Casuarine®.
Conifer®.
♦Orchide®.
Iride®.
Hæmodoraceæ.
♦Liliace®.
Junce®.
Xerotide®.
♦Restiace®.
T h o se Order s, ag a in , w liich are co n fin ed to th e T rop ic s, ar e u n e x c ep tio n a lly c om m o n In d ia n o n e s,
and w h ich it is n o t n e c e ssa ry to sp e c ify . T h e r e arc, h ow ev e r , sev e ra l o f th e m o st ty p ic a lly In d ia n
Orders th a t arc v e ry sca rc e or a b s en t in tropical A u stra lia , am o n g s t w h ich th e m o st r em arkable are :—
Anonace®.
Menispcrmc®.
Guttifor®.
Cclastrinc®.
Rliainnc®.
JTolastomaccro.
Aviilinccæ.
Vaccinie®.
Symploce®.
Myrsiiic®.
Acanthace®.
Cyrtaudre®.
Laurine®.
Cupulifor®.
Dioscore®.
Aroidc®.
T lic pecu lia r fea tu r e s o f t lie ex tra trop ica l A u stra lia n F lo r a arc m a in ly k e p t up in it s trop ica l
quarter, b y th e fo llow in g p lan ts