24 



THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



Mauritius, Seychelles, and Rodriguez. 



None of the woody species of these islands attains the dimensions, or assumes the habit 

 even, of a tree ; the tallest is Senecio append icidat us, DC, which is described as a shrub 

 six to ten feet high ; but these woody species constitute about half of the Compositse 

 which can be regarded as certainly indigenous. Psiadia rodrigueziana, Balf. f. (Botany of 

 Rodriguez, p. 50), is endemic in Rodriguez, where it is now very rare, though "it must 

 have existed formerly in great abundance, as the limestone plains are in many places 

 thickly strewn with fragments of branches and stems." 



CONTINENTAL ARBOREOUS COMPOSITE. 



Large shrubby Compositse are so numerous in many continental regions that it is 

 sufficient to indicate such genera as Vernonia, in Tropical Asia, Africa, and America ; 

 Eupatorium and Baccharis, especially in South America ; Olearia in Australia ; Hclich- 

 rysum and allies in Africa, South India, and Australia, and Senecio in various regions. 

 In Australia especially, shrubby Compositse form a conspicuous feature in the vegetation. 

 In South Africa and Brazil they are also very numerous, though on the whole of smaller 

 di mensions than the Australian. Still arboreous species are wanting neither in Asia, Africa, 

 South America, nor Australia. A few examples are given of truly arboreous species from 

 various regions ; and these might be doubled or trebled, but they are sufficient to give an 

 idea of the wide distribution of arboreous Compositse, and to prove that there are many 

 continental species of larger dimensions than the insular ones. 



Australia. 



Name. 

 Olearia argophylla 

 Euryhia lirata 

 Helichrymm diosmifolium 

 Bedfordia salicina ^, . 



Suborder. 

 Asteroidese . 



>> 

 Inuloideae . 

 Senecionidese 



Extreme Height. 

 60 feet. 

 30 „ 

 20 „ 

 30 „ 



