lix x iv
T h is c a ta lo g u e p la c e s in a v e r y s tr o n g lig h t th e th o r o u gU y E a s te r n A n s tr a lia n ch a ra c te r o f th e
T a sm a n ia F lo r a i o u t o f 1 ,0 6 8 * sp e c ie s, o n ly 2 8 0 , or ra th e r m o r e th a n o n e -fo u r th , h a v e n o t b e en fou n d
o n th e A n s tr a lia n c o n tin e n t. T h e r e are o n ly 2 2 g en e r a an d 2 6 7 sp e c ie s n o t e d a s b e in g a b so lu te ly p e -
cu lia r t o T a sm a n ia , o f w liic h la t t e r fiilly 4 4 iv ill pro v e , in a ll p ro b a b ility , t o b e v a r ie tie s.
T h e c o n tr a s t b e tw e e n th e F lo r a s o f s o u th -w e s t A u s t r a lia an d T a sm a n ia , in r e sp e c t o f th e ir
a th n ity w ith th a t o f s o u th - e a s t A u s tr a lia , i s v e r y r em a rk ab le , for th o u g h th e ir g eo g r a p h ic a l o o n t ig u ity
w o u ld lead n s to ex p e c t th a t th e T a sm a n ia n F lo r a sh o u ld b e le s s d iffer en t from tb e V ic to r ia n th a n
th a t o f K m g G e o r g e ’s S o u n d is , i t m u s t b e r e c o lle c te d th a t T a sm a n ia i s p la c ed sev e ra l d eg r e e s
iu r th e r s o u th , m a co ld e r c lim a te a n d m o is t e r a tm o sp h e r e , an d is sep a ra ted from V ic to r ia liy a w id e
an d d e ep o c e a n ic ch a n n e l.
I t w ill p rob ab ly b e c o n c ed ed th a t T a sm a n ia o n c e fo rm ed a c o n tin u o u s sou thw a rd e x te n s io n o f
V ic to r ia , an d th a t a s B r ita in w as p eo p led w ith c o n tin e n ta l p la n ts b e fo r e th e fo rm a tio n o f th e
C h a n n e l, so T a sm a n ia an d V ic to r ia p o sse ssed tlie ir p r e s en t F lo r a b efore th e y w e r e sep a ra ted b y B a s s ’
S t r a it s ; b u t i f th e e ffe c ts o f s e g r e g a tio n a n d n a tu r a l s e le c t io n h a v e d o n e so lit t le tow a rd s m o d ify in g
th e F lo r a s o f th e o p p o s ite sh o r e s d u r in g th e im m e n s e ep o ch th a t h a s in t e r v en ed s in c e th e ea r lie s t
fo rm a tio n o f B a s s ’ S t r a it s , w e ar e a ll th e m o r e p u z z led to a c c o u n t for th e c om p le t e ch a n g e o f th e
so u th -w e s te r n F lo r a , w h ic h is iso la t e d b y n o sn ch b arr ie r from th e s o u th -e a s te rn .
T h e r e a r e o n ly 6 9 2 fiow e r in g p la n t s p e cu lia r t o T a sm a n ia an d A u s tr a lia , or 8 6 0 i f th o s e p e cu lia r
to T a sm a n ia ar e in c lu d ed , so th a t fnU y o n e -fifth o f th e F lo r a i s e x t r a -A n s t r a lia n ; w h e r ea s o n ly o n e -
s ix th o f th e s o u th - e a s te r n F lo r a a n d o n e - t e n th o f th e s o u th -w e s te rn ar e e x tr a -A u str a lia n . C o n sid
e r in g th e b e fo r e -m e n tio n e d is o la tio n o f T a sm an ia , th is is c e r ta in ly a m o s t r em a rk a b le fa c t and
r eq u ir e s a c lo s e s c r u tin y . ^
T u r n in g t o th e g en e r a a g a in , I find th a t o u t o f th e w h o le (3 9 4 ), o n ly 2 2 are a b so lu te ly p e cu lia r
to T a sm am a ; or , a d d in g th e s e t o tb e 1 2 2 w h ic h are e x c lu s iv e ly A u s tr a lia n a n d T a sm a n ia n , I find
o n ly 1 4 4 in a ll. I n o th e r w o rd s, c o n sid e ra b ly m o r e tb a n tw o - th ir d s o f th e T a sm a n ia n g en e r a are
fo u n d m o th e r c o u n tr ie s b e sid e s A u straK a ; wh e r ea s in s o u th -w e s te rn A u s tr a lia m u c h le s s tb a n h a lf
th e g en e r a are ex tra -A u straK an , in so u th -e a s te r n s om ew h a t m o r e th a n h a lf, an d in th e w h o le A u s -
tr a h a n F lo r a , b e tw e en o n e -h a lf a n d tw o -th ird s .
I n c x am m m g th e d is tr ib u tio n o f t b e g en e r a an d sp e c ie s a lit t le fu r th e r , I fin d th a t th e defloienoy
o f Au straK an fo rm s, an d p rep on d e ran ce o f ex tra -A u straK an , i s cau sed p a r tly b y th e p a u c ity o f n ew
g en e r a o f Au straK an a ffin ity , p a r tly b y tb e ab sen c e o f som e th a t are c om m o n o n th e n o r th sh o r e o f
B a s s ’s S tr a its, b u t m o s t o f aU b y th e g r e a te r p ro p o r tio n o f N ew Z ea la n d , S o u th A m e r ic a n , A n t a
r c tic , an d e v e n E u r o p e a n g en e r a an d sp e c ie s, som e o f w h ic h d o n o t o c cu r o n th e A u s tr a lia n
c o n tin e n t. T h u s n o le s s th a n 1 2 0 , or n e a r ly o n e -th ird , o f t h e g en e r a , an d 6 7 , o r o n e -fifte en th , o f th o
T a sm a n ia n sp e c ie s, are E u r o p e a n , w h ils t w ith th e o th e r qu ar te rs i t sta n d s th u s
o f th e w h o le ; species about In all A u stralia, Europ. genera, one-sixth one-seventieth.
I u S.E. Australia
I n S .W . Austraba
In Tasmania
le s s than one-third
le ss tb an one-fourth
one-third
one -tw en ty -sev en th .
one-hundredth,
one-fifteenth.
• These and tbe following numbers wffl not be found to accord exactly with the data on the preceding pages,
because, since the earlier sheets ot the latter were printed off. I have received conections and notes from Archer, Gunn,
and Mueller that slightly alter the number of the species, varieties, and their distrihution. Siackhomia pulmnaris,
Muell. (see \ ol. II. Suppl.), should be added at p. I x .; “ Australia ” should be added to the distribution of Eryngium
vesiculosum (p. Ixv.) and to Calocephalus lacteus and the ten following species (p. Ixvii.). “ Isle o f Pines ” should
be expunged from 587.
T h e r e is th u s a v e r y r em a rk ab le r is e in th e p rop o r tion o f E u r o p e a n fo rm s in T a sm a n ia , and th is
is n o t d u e to th e e x t e n s io n o f a ll th e E u ro p ea n p la n ts o f A u s t r a lia in to T a sm a n ia , fo r th e r e a r e in
th e la tte r is la n d sev e ra l E u r o p e a n g en e r a an d sp e c ie s th a t h a v e n o t b e en fo u n d o n th e c o n t in e n t ; a s—
Ranunculus aquatilis.
Anemone.
Thiaspi ?
Draba nemoralis.
Hie rochloe borealis.
M o n tia fontana.
Trisetum subspicatum.
O n th e o th e r h an d , th e V ic to r ia A lp s c o n ta in sev e ra l n o r th e rn E u r o p e a n fo rm s w h ic h h a v e n o t
b e en fo u n d in T a sm am a , a s—
Tur ritis glabra.
Sagina procumbens.
MyriophyUum verticiUatum.
AlcbemiUa vulgaris.
Samolus Valerandi.
Lysimachia vulgaris.
Alisma Plantago.
Actinocarpus.
H yd r illa dentata.
Carex steUulata.
Carex Buxbaumii.
Carex vulgaris { f id . M u e ll.)
Carex cane scens ditto.
Carex ecbinata ditto.
Carex Pyrenaica.
T h e N ew Z ea la n d F lo r a i s a n o th e r w h ic h e n te r s p r o p o r tio n a te ly m u c h m o r e la r g e ly in to th e
T a sm a n ia n th a n in to th e A u str a lia n , n e a r ly 2 0 0 o f th e g en e r a an d 1 7 0 o f th e sp e c ie s o f T a sm a n ia
b e in g c om m o n to N ew Z ea lan d j an d th e s e c o u n tr ie s fu r th e r c o n ta in v a r iou s r ep r e sen ta tiv e g en e r a and
sp e c ie s, w h ich w ill b e fo u n d in th e In tr o d u c to r y E s s a y to th e ‘ N ew Zea lan d F lo r a ,’ an d in th e s e c tio n
o f th is E s s a y d e v o ted t o a c om p a r ison o f th e N ew Z ea la n d an d A u s tr a lia n F lo ra s.
F r om th e h ig h e r la titu d e o f T a sm an ia , an d it s lo f tie r m o u n ta in s , i t c o n ta in s fu r th e r a la rg e r
prop o r tion o f a n ta r c tic p la n ts , n e a r ly 1 0 0 g en e r a an d 5 6 sp e c ie s b e in g c om m o n to th is is la n d and
th e g ro u p s so u th o f N ew Z ea lan d , F u e g ia , th e F a lk la n d I s la n d s , e tc .
A str ic t com p a r iso n o f th e c o n tin e n ta l A u s tr a lia n an d T a sm an ian F lo r a s c a n n o t b e fu lly carried
ou t, u n t il m u ch la rg e r su ite s o f sp e c im en s from b o th c o u n tr ie s h a v e b e en se le c te d and com p a red .
I t is e v id en t th a t m a n y o f th e p la n ts th a t ran k a s p e cu lia r to T a sm an ia , arc s lig h t ly th o u g h p er m
a n e n tly a lte r ed fo rm s, n o le s s th a n 1 0 0 o f th e 1 0 6 3 b e in g so c o n sid e r ed , w ith m o r e o r le s s c e r ta in ty
or p la u s ib ility , b y M u e lle r o r A r ch e r or m y s e lf , and som e b y a ll o f u s. T o en t e r in to a d iscu ssio n
o f th em h e r e w ou ld b e q u ite u se le ss.
A n o th e r in te r e s t in g su b je c t o f d e ta il, r eq u ir in g fu lle r m a te r ia ls, i s th e a lp in e F lo r a o f T a sm an ia ,
u p o n w h ich M u e lle r ’s V ic to r ia n A lp s c o lle c t io n s h a v e th row n so m u c h lig h t . I fin d , o n a rou gh
e s tim a te , th a t th e r e are 2 0 0 a lp in e a n d su h a lp in e sp e c ie s in T a sm a n ia (o f w h ic h h a lf are a lp in e ) ;
c o n s id e r in g as su ch th o s e w h ich are m o s t p r e v a len t in o r c o n fin ed to a ltitu d e s ab o v e 3 ,0 0 0 f e e t : o f
th e s e 3 0 are p robably a lte r ed fo rm s o f low la n d p la n ts ; 1 2 0 are o f A u s t r a lia n g en e r a (1 0 o f th em are
probably v a r ie tie s) j ab ou t 1 0 are o f N ew Z ea la n d g e n e r a ; 5 5 a r e o f E u ro p ea n g en e r a (1 7 o f th em
prob ab ly v a r ie tie s) ; and 2 5 are A n ta r c tic forms.
T h is p rop o r tion o f v a r ie tie s am o n g s t th e a lp in e and su h a lp in e p la n ts , am o u n t in g a s it d o c s to
15 p er c e n t ., is v e ry la r g e ; th e p rop o r tion am o n g s t th e low lan d p la n ts b e in g con sid e rab ly u n d e r
1 0 p er c en t. T h e sm a ll p ro p o r tio n o f v a r ie tie s am o n g s t th e a lp in e s b e lo n g in g to A u s t r a lia n g en e ra
com par ed w ith th o s e o f E u r o p e a n g en e r a is a lso w o r th y o f n o tic e , a s an e x em p lifica tio n o f an
ob se rv a tion m ad e b y M r . D a rw in , th a t th e sp e c ie s o f w id e ly d istr ib u ted g en e r a are m o r e v a r ia b le
th a n th o s e o f lo c a l g en era.
T h e lo c a lity in d ic a ted b y th e le tte r s “ C h .” as th e h a b ita t o f m a u y T a sm a n ia n p la n ts c o lle c ted
b y M r . A r ch e r , c o n s is ts o f a tr a c t o f c o u n t iy (in w h ich is in c lu d ed h is e s ta t e o f C h e sh u n t, a b o u t te n
m ile s s o u th -w e s t o f D c lo r a in e an d 6 0 0 f e e t ab o v e th e s e a ), e x te n d in g so u th e r ly from M o u n t G o g , on