REGIONS AND AREAS OF DISTRIBUTION, 549 
region, as well as several Vernoniacez of an Old- World character 
or as isolated oligotypes. The Cichoriacex in which the Mediter- 
ranean region is so rich, are here very scantily represented; and the 
Cynaroidew, still more characteristic of that region, are wholly 
absent. The American Eupatoriacez, Helianthoidee, and Hele- 
nioidese are also represented by very few species only, the Hele- 
nioidew by a single isolated monotype (Cadiscus). 
There does not appear to be so great a contrast between the 
eastern and western districts of the region in Composite as in 
Ericacex and several other more shrubby orders. 
There are probably still many species or even genera to be 
discovered in the South-African region, although in the least- 
known parts, those bordering on the northern limits, Composite 
certainly diminish rapidly in numbers in proportion to other plants. 
The disproportionate numbers of the South-African and tropical- 
African Composite may probably, therefore, be somewhat modified 
by future researches; but it is expected that their highly diversi- 
fied character in both regions will only be further confirmed. 
6. Australian Region. 
The insular character of the Australian territory renders it 
needless to say any thing of the delimitation of the region as to its 
Composite, beyond noting that it should include Tasmania, I 
do not, however, for the present purpose, extend it to Australasia 
generally, so as to comprise New Zealand; for the vegetation of 
that group of islands has in many respects either a peculiar or a 
more Antarctic character, and-will be considered under the head 
of Insular Regions. 
Although the Composite flora of Australia is considerable, with 
a fair proportion of endemic genera, these are neither so nume- 
rous, nor so isolated, nor yet so diversified as those of the much 
smaller South-African region. The total number of known spe- 
cies (497) is but little more than one third of the South-African, 
that of the genera altogether (89) rather more than half as 
many, but of the endemie genera (39) not so much as two fifths 
as many as those of South Africa; and, notwithstanding the 
rather high figure at which stand Helichrysum, Olearia, and a 
few others, the general average of species is scarcely above five, 
instead of nearly ten, to a genus. Very few of the endemic 
genera are really anomalous; most of them are nearly connected 
with South-African, South-American, or tropical-Asiatic types. 
