§ 11.
On th e S o u th A f r ic a n f e a tu r e s o f A u s tr a lia n V e g e ta tio n .
T h e r e la tio n s b e tw e e n th e F lo r a s o f A u s t r a lia a n d o f th e sam e la titu d e s in A fr ic a , are o f
a v e r y d iffe r en t ch a ra c te r fr om th o s e th a t e x is t b e tw e e n i t an d P o ly n e s ia , or In d ia , e tc ., or ev en
E u r o p e ; fo r w h e r ea s th e r e i s a v e ry d e fin ab le a ffin ity tr a c e a b le in tb c p r e sen c e an d a b u n d an c e
o f s om e p e cu lia r O rd e rs, th e r e i s v e r y lit t le g e n e r ic a ffin ity iu th o s e O rd er s, an d s ca r c e ly an y spe c ific
id e n t ity .
M y d a ta for th e A fr ic a n F lo r a ar e ch ie fly d e riv ed fr om m y f r ien d D r . H a r v e y ’s c om m u n ic a tio n s ,
h is ‘ G e n e r a o f S o u th A fr ic a n P la n t s ,’ D r é g e a n d M e y e r ’s ‘ Z w e i P fla u z en -g e o g r a p h is ch e D o c u m
e n t e ’ (F lo ra , 1 8 4 3 ) , th e N ig e r F lo r a , a n d th e N a ta l, W e s t A fr ica n , an d M a u r itiu s p la n ts in th e
H e rb a r ium a t K ew .
W'’ith reg a rd to th e tro p ica l F lo r a s o f A u s tr a lia and A fr ica , th e ir a g r e em en t is in ra th e r le s s tlia ti
3 0 0 g en e r a , an d iu ab o u t 2 0 0 sp e c ie s th a t a r e w ith o u t e x c e p tio n c om m o n t o I n d ia a lso , an d h a rd ly
a n y o f w h ich b e lo n g to th o s e g en e r a or n a tu r a l fam ilie s* th a t are c h a r a c te r istic o f th e S o u th A fr ican
or A u s tr a lia n F lo r a . T h is su b je c t th e r e fo r e r eq u ir e s n o fu r th e r illu s t r a t io n th a n i t h a s r e c e iv ed un d er
th e In d ia n ch ap te r .
W ith r egard to th e tem p e r a te S o u th A fr ic a n F lo r a , i t is p e rh ap s a s w id e ly d iffe r en t from th e
tr o p ic a l a s th e tem p e r a te A u s tr a lia n is from th a t o f th e M a la y a n I s la n d s ; an d an ex tra o rd in a ry
n um b e r o f sp e e ie s, m a n y o f th em b e lo n g in g to a few g en e r a an d ord e r s e lsew h e r e rar e , are m a ssed
tow a rd s th e so u th e x tr em e o f A fr ic a , an d th e r e con fin ed t o a tr a c t o f la n d o f v a r y in g w id th , in t e r p
o sed b e tw e e n th e s e a and a d e se r t in te r io r .
T h e m o s t co n sp icu o u s eh a ra c te r s th a t e x tra tro p ica l S o u th A fr ic a p r e s en ts in c om m o n w ith
A u s tr a lia , are th e a b u n d an c e o f sp e c ie s o f th e fo llow in g O rd er s, m a n y o f wdiich b e in g sh ru b b y , g iv e
in c e r ta in d is tr ic ts o f ea ch c o u n tr y a clia ra e te r t o th e la n d sca p e .
Proteaceæ. Polygaleæ.
Compositæ. Ee stiac eæ.
Irideæ. Epacrideæ, Ericeæ.
Hæmodoraceæ. Decandrous Papilionaceæ and
Bue ttner iaceæ. tr ib e s Podalyrieæ and Loteæ.
Rutaceæ.
Thymeleæ.
Santalaceæ.
Anthospermous Eubiaceæ.
AU th e s e O rd e rs ar e far m o r e a b u n d a n tly r ep r e sen ted in A u s tr a lia (e sp e c ia lly so u th -w e ste rn ) and
S o u th A fr ic a th a n in an y o th e r p a r t o f th e w o rld , added to w h ich b y far th e g r ea te r n um b e r o f th e
k n ow n g en e r a an d sp e c ie s o f P ro te a c eæ and R e s tia c eæ are co n fin ed to th e s e tw o c o u n tr ie s . O th e r
m a rk s o f a ffin ity are th e C y ca d eæ , th e g e n u s E n c e p h a la r to s (to w h ich M u e lle r r ed u c e s M a c r o z am ia )
b e in g c om m o n to b o th ; C yph ia c eæ (a c co rd in g t o B r ow n a su b o rd e r o f Go o i/en ia ce« ) are a lm o s t c on fin ed
to S o u th A fr ica . N um e r o u s te r r e str ia l O rch id eæ , D ro s e ra c eæ , Z y g o p h y lleæ , l lia c eæ , Sm ila c eæ , and
C a p p a r id eæ ; th e g en e r a P e la rg o n ium an d M e s em b r y a n th em um , b e sid e s M e tr o s id e r o s , A cæ n a , T e tra g o -
n ia , W e inm a n n ia , S a r c o s tem m a , S ebæ a , C a llitr is ,- \ A n g u illa r ia , R e s tio , C a rp h a , U n c in ia , au d E h r h a r ta .
* As exceptions may rank the few Proteaceæ said to exist in Abyssinia, which however belong to genera
widely different from the Australian. The late Professor A. Richard gave me to understand (Preface to ‘ Flora
Antarctica,’ vol. ii. p. 210) that there were many representatives o f the South African peculiarities in Abyssinia,
but I find they are not so numerous as I was led to suppose.
j- I include Prenela and Widdringtonia under Callitris, one species of which is found in North Africa.
T h e ra r ity in b o th o f A ro id e e e , L a u rin eæ , an d a ll R u b ia c eæ e x c e p t th e A n th o sp e rm eæ , is a lso w’o r th y
o f n o tic e . W ith r egard to th e N a tu r a l O rd er s e n um e r a ted ab o v e , th e ir g en e r a a r e a lm o s t u n e x c ep tio
n a lly d ific r en t in th e tw o c o u n tr ie s. I fin d th a t o f 1 ,0 0 0 S o u th A fr ic a n g e n e r a o f flow e r in g p la n ts,
o n ly a b o u t 2 8 0 ar e A u s tr a lia n ; o f th e s e ab o u t 1 6 0 arc a lso c om m o n to E u r o p e , an d 1 3 0 t o In d ia ,
le a v in g C a llitr is , E n c e p h a la r to s , R e s tio , H y p o læ n a , an d A n g u illa r ia , co n fin ed to S o u th A fr ic a and A u s tra
lia , and 1 0 m o r e c om m o n to th e s e c o u n tr ie s, to g e tlie r w ith N ew Z ea lan d an d e x tra tro p ica l A m e r ica ,
O n th e o th e r h an d . S o u th A fr ic a c o n ta in s upwards o f 2 2 0 E u r o p e a n g en e r a , o f w liich 8 0 a r e n o t
A u s tr a lia n , an d o f th e s e upwards o f GO are n o r th tem p e r a te forms. W e h a v e h e n c e tb e v e ry cu r iou s
fa c t th a t in p o in t o f n um b e r s A u s tr a lia r ep r e sen ts g en e r ic a lly th e E u r o p e a n F lo ra b e t te r th a n S o u th
Africa d o e s ; b u t th a t th e S o u th A fr ica n F lo r a c o n ta in s a la rg e r p rop o r tion o f ve rv n o r th e rn E u rop ean
g en e r a (n o t sp e c ie s) th a n A.u stralia d o e s. T h is is n o d o u b t b e c a u se m a n y o f th e s o - c a lle d E u rop ean
g e n e r a o f A u s t r a lia ar e m o r e pro^jerly A s ia t ic , a n d sp r ead th e n c e in b o th d ir e c tio n s , tow a rd s E u r o p e
an d tow a rd s A u stra lia .
B e fo r e d ism is s in g th is su b je c t, it is as w e ll to g la n c e a t th e d iffer en c es betw'eeu th e s e F lo ra s, w h ich
m a y sh o r tly be sum m ed up. S o u th A fr ic a a b ou n d s iu Campanulac eoe, w h ic h are v e r y rare iu
A u s tr a lia , w h e r e th e v e ry c lo s e ly a llied O rd er s S ty lid ieæ a u d G o oden iac eæ ab ou n d . T h e tr u e E ric eæ ,
w h ich sw a rm in c e r ta in d is tr ic ts o f S o u th A fr ica , are a ll b u t w F o lly a b s e n t in A u s tr a lia , b e in g r ep re s
e n te d th e r e b y t .ie ir suljorder E p a cH d eoe . S u c c u le n t s are, com p a ra tiv e ly , e x t r em e ly r a r e in A u s tr a Ua,
w h ich a lm o s t w h o lly w a n ts th o s e con sp icu o u s fea tu r e s o f S o u th A fr ic a u v e g e ta tio n th e C ra ssv lu c eæ ,
F ico id eæ , fle sh y A s c le p ia d eæ , LÂliaceæ (A lo e s ) , an d E u p h o rb ieæ .
I h a v e g iv e n (p. x x x iii.) a lis t o f th e five O rd er s w h ich ab ou n d m o r e in S o u th A fr ic a th a n in any
o th e r c o u n tr y b u t A u s tr a lia , a n d are th e r e fo r e h ig h ly ch a r a c te r istic o f b o th th e s e . I sh a ll now^ g iv e
th e c o n tr a s tin g o rd in a l d is s im ila r itie s o f ea ch .
T h e fo llow in g O rd e rs are r ep r e sen ted in th e S o u th A fr ic a n F lo ra , b u t ar e e ith e r com p a ra tiv e ly
rare or a b sen t iu A u s tr a lia :—
Fumariaceæ, absent iu Australia.
lie sed a c eæ ,
ditto.
Bixaeeæ.
Tamariscineæ,
Geraniaceæ.
Oxalideæ.
Caryophylleæ.
Ficoideæ.
Eosaceæ.
Bruuiaceæ,
ditto.
Loaseæ,
ditto.
Peuæaceæ,
ditto.
Begouiaceæ,
ditto.
Crass iilaeeæ.
Valeriaueæ,
ditto.
T em p e r a te A u s tr a lia co n ta in s th e fo llow in g
Dilleniac eæ, absent iu South Africa.
Slaguoliaceæ, ditto.
Mouimiaceoe. ditto.
Sapindaceæ.
Dipsaceæ, absent iu Australia.
Ar ctotid eæ (tr ib e o f Comp.).
Ericeæ.
Campanulaeeæ.
Stiibiueæ (V e rh en .), ab sen t in Australia.
Selagiiieæ (V e r le n .) , ditto.
Asclepiadeæ.
Podostemaceæ, ditto.
Saurureæ, ditto.
Rafflesiaceæ, absent in Australia.
Cytiueæ, ditto .
Betulaceæ, ditto.
Saliciueæ, absent in Australia.
Hypoxideæ.
Ord e rs th a t are rar e o r a b s en t iu S o u th A fr ica
Tremaudreæ, absent iu South Africa.
Pittosporeæ.
Stackliousieæ, ditto.
Halorageæ.