C ar e s/esiiz jfl. A r c tic N o r th America, and Lapland.
Cares cu rta . A rc tic and A lp in e Europe, Asia, aud N o r th America.
P hleum alpinum. A r c tic and A lp in e Europe, A sia and America.
Alop ecu ru s a lpin u s. Arc tic and Alpine Europe, A sia and America.
A g ro stis canina. Europe, N o r th Asia, N o r th America.
Axvàflexuosa. Europe, N o r th A sia , N o r th America.
VoQ,pratensis. T emperate and A r c tic Europe, Asia, N o r th America.
Fo on e tn o ra lis. N o r th e rn and A rc tic and Alp in e E urope , Asia, H im a la ja , N o r th America.
Tritioum cm ittum . Temperate and A rc tic Europe and America, Central and No r th e rn Asia.
HoT^QMra ju b a tum . Temperate Nor th America.
H e r e are 8 0 sp e c ie s , o f w U c li th e T a ra x a c um is fo u n d b o th in N ew Z e a la n d and F u e g ia , and
th e V e ro n ic a A n a g aU is an d A g r o s tis c a n in a in N ew Z e a la n d o n ly . I f to th is we .add 1 8 from
th e A u s tr a lia n lis t o f n o r th e rn fo rm s, w h ic h are a lso fo u n d in s o u th C h ili, o r th e A n ta r c tic isla n d s,
w e h a v e tw o n e a r ly eq u a l l i s t s o f d e c id ed ly n o r th e rn p la n ts in th e sou th tem p e r a te an d c o ld e r z o n e s”
— o n e o f th e O ld W o r ld , th e o th e r o f th e N ew ; in w h ich lis ts a b o u t o n e -th ird o f th e p la n ts a re com m o ii
to b o th . I h a v e n o c a ta lo g u e o f th e d e c id e d ly in d ig e n o u s E u r o p e a n pLauts iu S o u th A fr ica , an d th e r e fo
r e c a n n o t e x t e n d th is su b je c t b y c om p a r in g th o tw o so u th tem p e r a te d iv is io n s o f th e O ld W o r ld
F lo r a in r e sp e c t o f t h e n o r th e rn p la n ts th e y c o n ta in ; b u t m y im p r e s s io n is th a t th o u g h S o u th A fr ica
ad d s so m a n y n o r th e rn g en e r a , i t w ill fa ll sh o r t in n um b e r o f nea r e r a llie d forms.
T h e la s t ob se r v a tio n I sh a ll m a k e w ith r e fe r en c e to th is su b je c t is , th a t th e e x is tin g E u rop ean
F lo r a d o e s n o t c o n ta in o n e A u s tr a lia n r ep r e sen ta tiv e , n o r b e tra y th e r em o te s t d ir e c t b o tan ica l
affin ity w ith th e A u str a lia n . I h a v e e lsew h e r e in d ic a te d (p. x x i.) th a t th e r e is e v id en c e o f w h a t are
n ow A u s tr a lia n p la n ts h a v in g o n c e in h a b ited E u r o p e . I n n o r th -e a s te r n A s ia th e r e are h ow ev e r a
few A n s tr a lia n fo rm s, o f w h ic h th e H a lo r a g is , S ty lid iu m , an d B æ ck ia o f C h in a , th e M ia -o tis o f B o n in ,
S ta c k h o u s ia an d T h y sa n o tu s ? o f P h ilip p in e I s la n d s , T h e lym itr a o f J a v a , an d P ro te a c eæ o f J ap an m e
e x am p le s . C o n n e c tin g th e s e a g a in is th e siu g u la r a ssem b la g e o f A u s t r a lia n fo rm s o u th e lo fty
m o u n ta in K in i B a lo u in B o r n e o , an d w h ic h c o n s is ts o f sp e c ie s o f D r im y s , L e p to sp e rm um , Leu co p o g on ,
C o p ro sm a , D id is c u s , D r a p e te s , E u p h r a s ia , P h y llo c la d u s , D a c r y d iu m , a n d an Ir id e o n s an d R e stia c e o u s
p la n t, b o th a p p a r en tly a llied t o A u s tr a lia n g en e r a .
5 1 2 .
On th e F o s s il F lo ra o f A u s tr a lia , a n d i t s G eo lo g y in r e la tio n to th e E x is tin g F lo ra .
T h e fo ssilife ro n s r o ck s o f A u s tr a lia d o n o t th row m u c h lig h t u p o n th e a n tiq u ity o f it s e x is tin g
F lo ra , b e c a u se o f th e h ia tu s w h ich g e o lo g is t s se em to c o n sid e r e x is t s b e tw e en th e palæ o zo ic and
te r tia r y str a ta o f th a t co u n tr y . M r . J u k e s * h a s ca lled a tt e n t io n t o th e c u r io u s fa c t th a t th is de fic ien t
s e n e s in A u s tr a lia is la r g e ly d ev e lop ed in E u r o p e , an d th e r e ,p r e sen ts su c h A u s tr a lia n fo rm s o f
h f e a s m a r su p ia te quad ru p ed s, T r ig o rd a an d o th e r fossU sh e lls , to g e th e r w ith C y cad eou s p la n ts.
T o th e la tt e r n o im p o r ta n c e ca n h e a tta ch ed , a s th is O rd er is far m o r e ch a ra c te r istic o f trop ica l
Am e r ic a , o f In d ia , a n d e v e n o f so u th -e a s t A fr ic a , th a n o f A u s tr a lia ; b u t o n th e o th e r han d th o
* J. B. Jukes, ‘ Physical Stnicture of Australia,’ p. 89, etc.
A r a u c a r ia o f th e E n g lish o o lite , and o th e r fo ssils allu d ed to a t p. x x i., w o u ld s e em to t e n d to coiiflrm
M r . J u k e s ’s ob se rv a tio n .
T h e so - c a lle d P a læ o z o ic ro ck s o f A u s t r a lia c o n ta in fo s s il p la n ts o f w h ic h so l i t t le , b o ta n ic a lly ,
is k n ow n , th a t it w ou ld b e ra sh to sp e cu la te o n th e ir affin itie s, e v en i f w e k n ew th e a g e o f th e beds
th e y ar e fou n d in , a s com p a red w ith th e E u r o p e a n , w h ich w e d o n o t. T h e ir fo s s ils c om p r is e F e rn s o f
sev e ra l g en e ra , in c lu d in g th e g e n u s G to s so p te r is , w h ich is fou n d in th e o o lit ic b ed s o f E n g la n d , and
in In d ia ;* P h y llo th e c a , a p la n t som ew h a t s im ila r to C am a r in a , b u t o f e x tr em e ly d o u b tfu l a ffin ity ;
V e rte lrra ria , a lso an In d ia n fo ssil, a s to tb e a ffin itie s o f w h ich n o p la u sib le g u e s s h a s b e en m a d e ;
S p h e n o p te r is an d Z y g o p h yU ite s , o f w h ich lit t le m o r e can b e sa id . T o th e s e th e R e v . W . B . C la r k e t
ad d s th e fo llow in g w e ll-k n ow n B r it ish co a l to s s ils ,— L e p id o d e n in n , H a lo n ia , S ig illa r ia , U b d e n d ro n ,
C a lam ite s , an d S tigm a r ia .
M a n y o f th e te r tia ry fo s s il p la n ts o f A u s t r a lia w ou ld s e em to b e v e ry c lo s e ly a llied to e x is tin g
o n e s i th e s e in c lu d e th e C a su a r in a c o n e s o f F lin d e r s I sla n d , th e B a n k s ia and A r a u c a r ia w o od o f
T a sm an ia , th e B a n k s ia c o n e s o f V ic to r ia (w h ich se em id e n tic a l w ith th o s e o í B . e r ic ifo lia , th o u g h
buried u n d e r m a n y f e e t o f trap ). 'The le a v e s o t th e ca lca r eo u s tuffs o n th e b a n k s o f th e D ¡ r w e i i t ,í
e tc ., appear h ow ev e r to b e lo n g to a d iffe r en t an d w a rm er per iod.
F r om th e ab o v e i t w o u ld appear th a t th e e x t in c t F lo r a o f A u s tr a lia w a s n o t en t ir e ly d iffer ent
from th a t now e x is tin g , an d , fo llow in g M r . J u k e s ’s lin e o f a r g um en t, th a t A u s t r a lia co n tin u ed as dry
la n d d u r in g th e E u r o p e a n O o litic an d C r e ta c eou s pe r iod s. A t th is ep o ch M r . J u k e s a ssum e s th a t th e
p e cu lia r F lo r a o f A u s tr a lia w as in tr o d u c ed , an d th a t th e c o u tin e u t w as a g a in su bm e rg ed d u r in g th e
T e r tia ry ep o ch , w h en i t p r e sen ted th e appearance o f tw o lo n g is la n d s, or ch a in s o f is la n d s , on e , th e
larg e r , r ep r e s en tin g th e e le v a ted la n d o f e a ste rn A u s tr a lia au d T a sm a n ia , th e o th e r th a t o f s o u th e
a s te rn A u str a lia , to g e th e r w ith su b sid ia r y g ro u p s in th e w e s te r n an d n o r th e rn parts o f th e c o n tin e n t.
T h e se ar e th e sp e cu la tio n s o f an a b le g e o lo g is t an d v o y a g e r , w h ich I in tro d u c e w ith o u t c om m
e n t , a n d ch ie fiy t o ob se rv e th a t su c h a p a r titio n o f th e c o n t in e n t m a y b e su p p o sed to be fa v ou rab le
to th e m u ltip lic a tio n o f fo rm s o f v e g e ta b le lif e o u t o f fewe r p r e -e x is tin g on e s, b y th e s e g r e g a tio n o f
v a r ie tie s. T h e s e g ro u p s o f is la n d s w ou ld p r e sen t a p r e c ise a n a lo g y w ith th e G a lap a g o s an d S a n d w
ich g rou p s, w h e r e w e h ave th e sm a ll is la n d s o f o n e A r ch ip e la g o p eo p led b y d iffe r en t sp e c ie s, and
e v en g en e ra . T h e su b seq u en t e le v a t io n o f th e s e is le ts , an d c o n s eq u en t u n io n o f th em in to la rg e r
on e s, w ou ld fu r th e r , a c co rd in g to D a rw in ’s h y p o th e s is (o t th e s tr u g g le o f v e ry d iffe ren t k in d s o f
sp e c ie s an d fam ilie s for o c cu p a tio n o f th e s o il r e su lt in g iu a fu r th e r sep a ra tio n o f v a r ie tie s in to
sp e c ie s), ten d to e n la r g e th e g en e r a n um e r ic a lly w ith in c om p a ra tiv e ly sm a ll g e o g r a p h ic a l lim it s , and
th u s e ffe c t su ch a g e o g r a p h ic a l d is tr ib u tio n o f p la n ts a s A u s tr a lia n ow p r esen ts.
I n o u r com p le te ig n o r a n c e as to th e c o n d itio n o f a ll th e c o n t in e n ts d u r in g th e P a læ o zo ic ep o ch ,
it is im p o s s ib le to sp e cu la te o n th o ear lie r c o n d itio n o f t lie A u str a lia n F lo ra . T h a t p r ev iou s to som e
T e r tia ry su bm e r sio n o f a g r e a t p ar t o f th e c o n tin e n t, it was n o t a lto g e th e r sp e c ifica lly d iffe ren t from
w h a t it n ow is , w ould appear from a fa c t in s is t e d o n b y M r . J u k e s , th a t it was d u r in g su ch a su bm e r sion
th a t th o s e v o lca n o s wer e a c tiv e , th e lav.as o f w h ich n ow co v e r la rg e t r a c ts o f so u th e rn A u str a lia ,
and w liicb w c k n ow to h ave bu r ied a p la n t ap p a r en tly id e n t ic a l w ith B a n k s ia e r ic ifo lia , w h ich is s t ill
o n e o f th o com m o n e s t tr e e s iu th a t p a r t o f th e c o u n tr y : b u t th e q u e stio n o f w h e r e th e B a n k s ia s and
th e ir a llie s w e r e c rea ted , an d , i f iu o th e r la n d s th a n A u stra lia , h ow th e y m ig ra ted th ith e r , w e h a v e n o
* M’Coy in Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. xs. p. 152. t Journ. Geolog. Soc. Lond. vol. iv. p. 60.
} Darwin's Journal, p. 635, and Volcanic Islands, p. 140 ; Strzeiecki, p. 254 ; Milligan in Tasman Journ
1. 131.