COLLECTED IN DUTCH.NEW GUINEA. 9 
British New Guinea, may throw more light on the distribution of plants whenever we 
get collections from there. 
There seem, however, to have been invasions of plants from all four points of the 
compass: from the north, as illustrated by the Palszarctie plants; from the east, the 
Polynesian genera; from the south, the Australian and Antarctic plants; and from 
the west, the Malayan element. 
In the low coastal region of the south, which is perhaps of geologically modern date, 
as Mr. Wollaston records a mass of coral rock on a high ridge inland, the flora is 
distinctly that of the western Malay Archipelago in origin. Despite the proximity of 
Australià, the Australian flora is hardly as well represented as might have been expected ; 
but this is probably due to the great climatic differences between the two countries. 
The occurrence of Polynesian plants not met with in Australia, as Vavea, Trimenia, and 
Heliconia, is, of course, of considerable interest, as showing a wave of invasion from the 
east. Of the group of plants I have described as Antarctic, perhaps the most prominent 
is Drimys, of which there are no fewer than eight species in the collection, and two other 
species have been recorded from New Guinea. The genus is strongly represented in 
Australia and Polynesia and Southern Chile to Mexico. In Asia it gets as far as 
Mt. Kinabalu, where it disappears. The Paleearctic flora is nearly confined to the highest 
parts of the mountain, and resembles that of the Himalaya; nearly all the genera have 
been found in the Philippine mountains, which may represent the direction from which 
these northern plants have come. | 
The scantiness of the Anonacere, Leguminos:e, and Laurines in VARS collection is pole 
striking, especially as in the publications of the Dutch and Germans these orders are 
. not well represented, and they seem to be comparatively rare in New Guinea. Another 
somewhat striking phenomenon is the immense number of Epidendrese among Orchids 
^. and the scantiness of the Vandes; the species of Dendrobium and AT in es 
New Guinea seem endless. eo 
The Saxifragaceæ Cunoniaceæ are singularly well represanti here, with Quintinia, 
Spireopsis, Astilbe, and the endemic genera Argyrocalymna and Pyrsonota. gv 
The Scitaminez of New Guinea are remarkably different from those of the western oe 
Malay Archipelago. We may notice the disappearance of such characteristic genera as 
Zingiber, Gastrochilus, Globba, Alpinia (Catimbium section), and Stachyphrynium,which — 
are replaced by Riedelia, Eriolopha, Guillainia, Alpinia of the Hellwigia section, which — d ue 
should probably be specifically separated, Ptychanthus, the curious new genus Zhyl 
 phora, Tapeinocheilus, Cominsia, and Heliconia; a number of these are a 
in the Polynesian Islands. The Scitamineæ of the s i cu Islan i 
: Cad Malayan affinity. : K 
.. On the whole, it would appear advisable to — New Guir 
| most adjacent islands as forming a distinct region of its own, with z 
mixed with derivatives from Malaya, Australia, and Polyne ; 
the Philippines, from the temperate isch of the r no rt, 
ERIES.—BOTANY, VOL, W Des 
re ‘endemic flora, ; | 
LS ibly thro 1c 
