278 REV. R. BARON ON THE 
reward future explorers. Herbs and small wiry suffruticose 
plants preponderate in the flora, trees and shrubs being com- 
paratively few. Of the 1236 species found in the Region about 
900 belong to the former and 336 to the latter: that is to say, 
about three fourths of the plants are herbaceous or suffruticose. 
In the Eastern Region, on the other hand, and probably also in 
the Western, more than half of the flora is composed of trees 
and shrubs. 
Another peculiarity of the flora of the Central Region is that, 
as might be expected, it is of a more temperate character than 
that of either of the other two Regions. Anonacez scarcely 
seem to occur; Guttifere have but one or two representatives ; 
Piperaces are rare; Palms do occur, but they are by no means 
abundant. It is much the same with other tropical Orders. 
Many of the tropieal genera, too, found in the other Regions are 
either entirely or almost absent in the Central. On the other 
hand, forms of a temperate type are comparatively abundant. 
Of Ranuneulacez there are 18 species in the island (14 of Clematis 
and 4 of Ranunculus), about half of which are confined to the 
Central Region. All the Crucifere, of which, however, there 
are but 3 or 4 species, also belong to it, though Cardamine 
africana slightly oversteps the eastern boundary. At least 30 
out of the 34 plants belonging to Crassulacee are confined also 
to this Region. There are only 4 members of Caryophyllese 
known in the island, belonging to as many genera, only one ot 
which is found outside the limits of the Region. Of the 18 
species of Umbellifere the greater number occur here alone, 
Peucedanum capense and P. Bojerianum, as also Carum angelice- 
folium*, being only found at a considerable elevation (6000 feet 
and upwards) Nearly all the members of Ericaceæ are also con- 
fined to this Region. The 5 species of Primulacez (4 of Anagallis 
and 1 of Lysimachia) also occur only here. Of the 24 species of 
Gentians nearly all are either confined witbin the limits of the 
Region or just exceed them. This is the case also with lridez. 
The only Madagascarian willow (Salie madagascariensis), and the | 
only two representatives of the Sandal-wood Order (Zhesium 
madagascariensis and T. cystoseiroides) also belong here, the 
willow being abundant at the east foot of Ankaratra mountain, 
* This name and some others mentioned in the present paper will be found 
in Mr. Baker's * Further Contributions to the Flora of Madagascar " which 
follo ws this article, 
