416 W. L. Bray. 
of ocean is an accepted faet. One need only recall the case of Pelargonium 
of South Africa, of which two very nearly related species occur in Australia 
concerning which Prof, Exeter (Geogr. Verbreit. d. Zygophyll. S. 24) says, 
»kaum daran zu zweifeln ist, dass das Auftreten von Pelargonium in 
Australien auf transoceanischen Transport von Samen aus Südafrika zu- 
rückzuführen ist«. 
One can only speculate as to the particular method by which the 
transportation has been accomplished, but this remains evident, that in 
Frankenia there has occurred more than a single, accidental case of trans- 
portation at a time when the geological conditions were practically as they 
are now. 
Group 2. 
In the second group the species and their distribution are as follows: 
1. Hypericopsis persica, — South Eastern Persia. 
Toicho- 2. Frankenia punctata and parvula, — West Australia. 
gonia 3. F. triandra {Anthobryum}, — Puna Region of So. America. 
isolata. 4. F. Vidalii, — Pacific Islands of San Felix and S. Ambrosio. 
5. F. farinosa, — Northern part of Desert of Atacama. 
6. Beatsonia portulacoides, — Island of St. Helena. 
7. F. bracteata and others, —- West Australia. 
Basi- ] 8. F. Jamesii, — Eastern foot of Rocky Mountains to W. Texas, 
gonia. No. Amer. 
9. F. Palmeri, — Lower California, No. Amer. 
10. Niederleinia juniperoides, — Salt-steppes of Argentine, So. Amer. 
This group embraces three, possibly four, monotypic genera, and six 
other forms so isolated and so distinct that we may regard them also as 
monotypic branches. The only exception to this condition of things is that 
in western Australia sect. Basigonia has at least four nearly related 
"species. 
These conditions indicate that there has not been an interchange 
between the regions, but rather that each type has reached its present 
state within the region it now occupies. It is out of the question that seeds 
should be transported from Australia to the Argentine salt-steppes, or to 
the lower Californian coast, above all to the eastern base of the Rocky 
Mountains, yet section Basigonia occupies all these regions, and singularly 
enough, the Australian and North American species are much nearer in 
their relation to each other than either to Niederleinia. It is equally difficult 
to believe that there has been a transportation of seeds between western 
Australia, the Island of St. Helena, and the Puna Region. It seems more 
probable and entirely within the bounds of reason to suppose that the 
forms in this second group constitute the remnants of a developement of 
Frankeniaceae which in an earlier period possessed a wide distribution over 
