Ixxxviii
N ew Z ealand.
5. Orchideæ.
6 . Eubiaceæ.
7. Epacrideæ.
8 . TJmbeliiferæ.
9 . Eanurtculaceæ.
FLORA OF TASMANIA.
A u s tra lia .
Gramiueæ.
Cyperaeeæ.
Goodeniaceæ.
Orchideæ.
[O n the N . Z eal. ^ P olyn e sian
Tasmania.
Cyperaeeæ.
Gramiueæ.
Myrtaceæ.
Liliaceæ.
Proteaceæ.
A n o th e r r em a rk a b le d iffe r en c e b e tw e en th e s e F lo r a s is afforded h y c e r ta in A m e r ic a n g en e ra
b e in g fo u n d in e a ch , b u t w h ic h are n o t c om m o n to b o th . O f th e s e th e m o s t s tr ik in g are—
Drim ys.
Coriaria.
Edwardsia.
Neio Z ealand.
F uchsia.
Calceolaria.
Thuja.
Callisene.
Gaimai’dia.
A u s tr a lia an d Tasmania.
Eucryphia. S ty lo o c e ru s.
OEuothera. P em e tty a .
Flaveria. Prionotes.
S o to o w ith r eg a rd t o th e E u r o p e a n g en e r a an d sp e c ie s, th e r e are c e r ta in t em p e r a te a n d n o r th e rn
sp e c ie s fo u n d in N ew Z ea la n d b u t n o t in A u s tr a h a , su ch as—
Taraxacum officmale, V eron ica AnagalKs, Sparganium natans, A g r o stis canina.
T n r n in g n ow to th e p o in ts o f a ffin ity b e tw en A u s tr a h a a n d N ew Z ea lan d , th e s e are so n um e r o u s
a n d d e c id ed a s to ren d e r th e d is s im ila r itie s a ll th e m o r e s in g u la r .
I n th e fir st p la c e , th e r e i s n o N ew Z ea la n d O rd e r a b s en t from A u s tr a h a e x c ep t C oH a rkoe ,
B r em a c eoe , a n d C h la ran th a c eæ , w h ic h a r e s in g le g en e r a r a th e r th a n O rd e rs. O f th e 2 8 2 g en e r a o f
P hæ n o g am s in N ew Z ea la n d , 2 4 0 are a lso A u s tr a lia n , a n d 6 0 ar e a lm o s t c o n fin ed to th e s e tw o
c o u n tr ie s . T h e g r e a te s t am o u n t o f g e n e r ic a ffin ity e x is t s in th r e e o f th e la r g e s t Orde rs in ea ch , viz.
C om p o sitæ , O rch id eæ , a n d G ram in eæ , w h ic h m a y b e c o n sid e r ed g e n e r ic a lly id e n tic a l in b o th . T o th is
c a te g o r y o f r e s em b la n c e s a lso b e lo n g th e an ta r c tic g en e r a a n d r e p r e s en ta tiv e g en e r a , m a n y o f w h ich
a r e a lso fo u n d in A m e r ic a , a n d w h ich w h l b e h e r ea fte r c o n sid e r ed . O f th e s e 2 4 0 g en e r a , b y far t h e
la rg e r p r o p o r tio n ar e c o n fin ed to e a s te rn A u s tr a lia , n o t o n e b e in g e x c lu s iv e ly w e s te r n A n s tr a lia n .
D e s c e n d in g to sp e c ie s, I find th a t 2 1 6 , o r o n e -fo u r th o f th e N ew Z ea la n d P hæ n o g am s, are n a tiv e s
o f A u s t r a lia ,* an d o f th e s e 1 1 5 a r e c o n fin ed t o th e s e tw o co u n tr ie s. O f th e r em a in in g 1 0 1 , 7 7 are
c om m o n to A m e r ic a , 7 5 to In d ia , a n d 5 2 to E u r o p e . T h e c om p a r a tiv e ly sm a ll n um b e r o f th e s e th a t
ar e c om m o n to In d ia , an d g r e a te r n um h e r c om m o n t o A m e r ic a , i s a r em a rk ab le fa c t, c o n s id e r in g th e
r e la tiv e p o s itio n o f th e s e c o u n tr ie s ; an d th e la r g e n um b e r o f E u r o p e a n g en e r a is n o le s s so.
A n o th e r in te r e s tin g a n om a ly is , th a t o f th e 1 1 5 sp e c ie s p e cu lia r to A u s tr a lia an d N ew Z ealand,
o n ly 2 6 b e lo n g t o g en e r a p e cu lia r to th o s e c o u n tr ie s, an d o n ly 6 t o th e lo n g lis t o f A u s tr a lia n g en e r^
th a t c o n ta in u pw a rd s o f 2 0 sp e c ie s ea ch . A g a in , upwards o f 2 0 o f th o s e 1 1 5 ar e sca r c e a n d chie fly
a lp in e p la n ts in b o th c o u n tr ie s , o c c u p y in g c om p a r a tiv e ly very sm a ll a r e a s ; wh e r ea s o f th e 101 th a t
a r e fo u n d in o th e r la n d s b e s id e s A u s tr a lia an d N ew Z ea la n d , o n ly 5 or 6 a r e a lp in e , an d m o s t o f th e s e
a r e a n ta r c tic a lso .
T h u s , u n d e r w h a tev e r a sp e c t I r egard th e F lo r a o f A u s tr a lia and N ew Zea lan d , I find all a ttem p ts
to th e o r iz e o n th e p o ssib le c a u se s o f th e ir c om m u n ity o f fea tu r e fru stra ted b y a n om a lie s in d istr ib u -
tio u su c h a s I b e lie v e n o tw o o th e r s im ila r ly s itu a te d c o u n tr ie s in th e g lo b e p r e sen t. E v e ryw h e r e
e ls e I r e c o g n iz e a p a r a lle lism or h a rm o n y in th e m a in c om m o n f ea tu r e s o f c o n t ig u o u s F lo ra s, which
* The majority o f these will be found in the Tasmanian Classified List at p. Ivh, with the indication o f thoir
being natives o f New Zealand.
P la n ts in A u s tra lia .] INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. Ixxxix
c o n v e y s th e impr e ssion, o f th e ir g e n e r ic a ffin ity a t le a s t b e in g e ffe c ted b y m ig r a tio n from c en tr e s o f
d isp e r sion in o n e o f th em , or in som e a d ja c en t c o u n tr y . I n th is c a se i t is w id e ly d iffer en t. R e g a rd in g
th e q u e stio n from th e A u str a lia n p o in t o f v iew , it i s im p o s s ib le in th e p r e s en t s ta t e o f s c ie n c e t o r e c o n c
ile th e fa c t o f A c a c i a * E u c a h jp tu s , C a su a rin a , C a llitr is , e tc ., b e in g a b s en t in N ew Z ea lan d , w ith any
th e o r y o f t r a n so c e a n ic m ig r a tio n th a t m a y b e ad op ted t o ex p la in th e p r e sen c e o f o th e r A u str a lia n
p la n ts in N ew Z ea la n d ; an d it i s v e r y d ifficu lt to c o n c e iv e o f a t im e o r o f co n d itio n s th a t co u ld e x p la in
th e s e a n om a lie s, e x c ep t b y g o in g b a ck to ep o ch s w h en th e p r ev a len t b o ta n ica l a s w e ll a s g e o g r a p h ic a l
fea tu r e s o f ea ch w e r e w id e ly d iffe r en t from w h a t th e y are n ow . O n th e o th e r h an d , i f I r egard th e
q u e s tio n from th e N ew Z ea la n d p o in t o f v iew , I fin d su ch broad fe a tu r e s o f r e sem b la n c e , a n d so
m a n y c o n n e c tin g lin k s th a t afford ir r e s is tib le e v id en c e o f a c lo s e b o ta n ica l c o n n e c tio n , th a t I c a n n o t
a b andon th e c o n v ic tio n th a t th e s e g r e a t d iffe ren c es w ill p r e sen t th e le a s t d ifficu ltie s t o w h a tev e r th eo ry
m a y e x p la in th e w h o le ca se . I sh a ll a g a iu a llu d e to th is p o in t a fte r d is c u s s in g th e an ta r c tic and
E u rop ean fea tu r e s o f A u str a lia .
B e tw e e n N o r fo lk I s la n d au d A u s tr a lia a few sm a ll isla n d s r is e lik e sp e ck s in th e o c ea n , and
th e se , to o , t e ll a ta le o f d is tr ib u tio n . L o rd H ow e ’s I s la n d an d th e M id d le to n g rou p , in th e p a ra lle ls
o f 2 8 ° a u d 3 2 ° so u th , h a v e b o th b e e n b o ta n iz ed iu b y th e o ffic er s o f th e ‘ H e r a ld ’ (Cap ta in D e n h am ’s
P a c ific E x p lo r in g E x p e d it io n ), a n d th e ir F lo r a is o f an in te rm ed ia te ch a ra c te r b e tw e e n th a t o f A u s tra
lia , N ew Z ea la n d , an d N o r fo lk Is la n d , som e sp e c ie s b e in g c om m o n t o ea ch , an d th e r e s t, th o u g h
q u ite d is tin c t, b e in g c lo s e ly a llied to th e p la n ts o f th e s e co u n tr ie s.
§ 10.
On th e A n ta r c tic P la n ts o f A u s tr a lia .
F r om th e g e o g r a p h ic a l p o s itio n o f A u str a lia , n o le s s th a n from tb e a lt itu d e o f it s sou tliern
m o u n ta in s, i t is w e ll p la c ed for th e m a in ten a n c e o f th o s e ty p e s o f v e g e ta t io n w h ich I h a v e d e n om in
a ted A n ta r c tic . T h e se , i t m u s t b e r em em b e r ed , are n o t so ca lled b e ca u se th e y r e a lly in h a b it th e
co u n try o f th a t n am e b ey o n d th e P o la r c ir c le , b u t b e c a u se in a b o ta n ic a l p o in t o f v iew , n o le s s th a n
in p o s itio n r e la tiv e to th e so u th tem p e r a te F lo ra , th e y r ep r e sen t th e A r c tic F lo r a . T h e y m ig lit
in d e ed a lm o st b e ca lled a lp in e p la n ts, for m a n y w h ich are fo u n d a t th e le v e l o f th e sea in th e so -c a lled
A n ta r c tic is la n d s, a lso a sc en d th e m o u n ta in s o f m o r e g en ia l la titu d e s . A n a lp in e v e g e ta t io n , how ev er ,
in th e tr o p ic s e sp e c ia lly , is su p p o sed to c om m en c e o n ly wher e th e fo r e st is rep la c ed b y low b ru shw o od ;
w h e reas, ow in g t o th e u n ifo rm ity au d h um id ity o f th e h ig h so u th e rn la titu d e s , an arb o r eou s v e g e ta tio
n th e r e en c ro a ch e s u p on th e lim it s o f p e rp e tu a l ic e . I n th e lo n g itu d e o f Cape H o rn , on th e
m o u n ta in s o f F u e g ia , o f th e M id d le I s la n d o f N ew Z ea lan d , an d o f A u str a lia , th e b e lt o f co u n try
o c cu p ied b y low and ch ie fly h e rb a c eo u s p la u ts, th a t in te r v en e s b e tw e en th e arb o r eou s v e g e ta tio n and
th e e x tin c t io n o f phæ u o g a ra ic life , is a ve ry narrow o n e in d e ed com p a r ed w ith w h a t an a lo g o u s r e g io n s
th e A lp s , A n d e s , H im a la y a , or A r c tic la t itu d e s p re sen t.
I n d is c u s s in g th e a n ta r c tic v e g e ta tio n o f A u str a lia , I sh a ll h a v e t o ad op t a s ty le th a t appears to
in d ic a te th a t th is F lo ra is au im m ig r a n t, wh e r ea s i t m a y , to a co n sid e ra b le e x te n t, b o th in A u stra lia
and e lsew h e r e , c o n s is t o f a lte r ed fo rm s o f th e p la n ts o f th a t c o n tin e n t , w h ich h a v e m ig r a ted from
* There are no climatic or otlicv reasons against tliese genera flourishing in New Zealand when introduced
there. Some introduced Australian plauts have already become naturalized iu New Zealand ; but upon tins poiut I
hope to collect more full evidence.