REGIONS AND AREAS OF DISTRIBUTION. 563 
The above endemie genera are closely connected with, as the 
endemic sections and species belong to, Mediterranean genera, 
with a slight tendeney to South-African forms in the genus 
Gonospermum and in some of the species of Helichrysum and 
Chrysanthemum and perhaps of Senecio. The insular tendency to 
a more shrubby form than their continental congeners or allies 
1s also exhibited in Allagopappus, Vierea, Gonospermum, Chry- 
santhemum, Senecio, and Sonchus; but there is nothing of the 
arborescent or highly differentiated character of the Petrobium of 
St. Helena, of the Dendroseris and others of Juan Fernandez, or 
of the Fitchia of the South-Sea Islands. There are none even of 
the locally restricted genetically isolated monotypes or small races 
of which we have noticed so many in the Mediterranean and 
South-African regions, 
The Cape-Verd group has still less of the insular feature in its 
Composite ; and the order is so little characteristic of its general 
vegetation, that it would be unfair to deduce from them any 
general considerations. The total number is only thirty-eight, 
including several widely spread Mediterranean species which may 
prove to be modern colonists. There are no endemic genera or 
Sections ; and the few apparently endemic species are of an Afri- 
can character, and may yet be found on the opposite continental 
coast, although the distance be as great as that which separates 
the Canary Islands from the opposite mainland. 
6. St. Helena and Tristan d’ Acunha. 
The expiring flora of the isle of St. Helena is as remarkable in 
Composite, as in other orders, in its distant connexions. Although 
nearer to Africa than to any other continent, those Composite 
denizens which bear evidence of the greatest antiquity have their 
affinities for the most part in South America, whilst the colonists 
of a more recent character are South-African. Seven endemic 
species are known—Commidendron four species, Melanodendron, 
Petrobium, and Psiadia, one each. All, except one species of 
Commidendron, have more or less of the insular arborescent cha- 
racter. Commidendron and Melanodendron are among the woody 
Asteroid forms exemplified in the Antarctic-American Chiliotri- 
chium, in the Andine Diplostephium, and in the Australasian 
Olearia. Petrobium is one of three genera, remains of a group 
probably of great antiquity, of which the two others are Po- 
