198 DR. M. T. MASTERS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF 
On the Distribution of the Species of Сопіѓегх іп the several Districts of 
China, and on the Occurrence of the same Species in neighbouring 
Countries. By the late MaxwxLL T. Masters, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.5., 
Corresponding Member of the Institute of France (Académie des Sciences). 
[ Read 20th June, 1907.] 
THE recent researches of Mr. E. Н. Wilson in Sze-Chuan have brought to 
light a remarkably large number of. new Conifers, which have been described 
by myself in the * Journal? of the Society * and elsewhere. To Dr. Henry we 
are also indebted for the discovery of new species in Central China and 
Yunnan. The discoveries of Delavay and Franchet had been previously 
noted by Franchet. This large accession of hitherto undiscovered species 
provides matter for the consideration of the botanical geographer, and it is 
with a view of facilitating his task that I now venture to lay before the 
Society some details relating to the distribution of the Coniferz and Taxacew 
in the various provinces of China and in neighbouring countries. For reasons 
which will readily be understood, the figures given must be taken as only 
approximately correct, as they are likely to be more or less modified as errors 
are detected and our acquaintance with the details becomes widened. Some 
discrepancies between the figures and details here given and those published 
in former communications, especially in my paper on the Conifers of Japan +, 
are to be accounted for, not only by the increased number of species now 
known, but by the transfer of certain species from one genus to another ; but 
these discrepancies do not affect the general conclusions arrived at. 
The total number of species now known from China, inclusive of. Formosa, 
amounts to 87, distributed through 23 genera, as shown in Table I. 
Speaking broadly, a marked difference may be noted in the Coniferous floras 
of Northern, Southern, Central, and Western China respectively. Thus in 
the north we have such Pines as Pinus Bungeana, as well as Picea obovata, 
Abies firma, А. Veitchii, and two or three species of Larch, all indicating an 
approximation to the Flora of Japan and even of Northern Asia. 
The Southern species are of a tropical or subtropical category. Among them 
are species of Podocarpus, also Pinus Massoniana, which, though it occurs 
in other parts of China, is more particularly a characteristic of the South, and 
indicates an approach to the Flora of the Philippine Islands, although there 
are no species in common. In Central China the Coniferous elements are 
mixed, but, so far as at present known, Pinus Henryi and P. scipioniformis 
* Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. vol. xxxvii, (Nov. 1906), pp. 410 её seg. 
+ Op. cit. vol, xviii. (1881) p. 483. 
