KEPORT ON THE LOTANY OF THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS. 53 



satisfactory part in some respects ; but as it contains coloured figures of nearly all of the 

 endemic plants, besides copious notes on their condition, it is by no means the least 

 valuable. Mr Melliss resided in the island for some years, and during his residence he 

 collected and transmitted to Kew specimens of all the endemic plants collected by 

 Burchell, except perhaps about half-a-dozen. Unfortunately, Melliss followed Roxburgh's 

 example, and included native and introduced plants in one general list, which is extended 

 to 1058 species, so that the native element is as it were overpowered by the exotic. 

 Then there is no attempt to elaborate the synonymy and exhaust the literature of each 

 species, and a few species are omitted altogether. The Cyperacece and Graminece had 

 not been critically examined, and several of the indigenous ones had not been described ; 

 hence the enumeration is imperfect for these orders. Apart from these defects, the work 

 is most valuable and useful, and we are greatly indebted to the author for particulars 

 respecting the distribution and relative rarity of a large number of the species up to the 

 date of his work. 



The only contribution to our knowledge of the flora of St Helena later than Mr 

 Melliss's book is a collection of plants made by Mr D. Morris, Director of Public Gardens 

 and Plantations in Jamaica, in 18S3. 1 Mr Morris visited the island for the purpose of 

 reporting to the Colonial Office on its agricultural resources, and during the little spare 

 time he had, collected specimens of nearly all the native ferns as well as thirteen endemic 

 flowering plants, and his name with the date affixed is cited under each of those plants. 



Actual Condition of the Vegetation of St Helena — 

 The Indigenous Element. 



The present enumeration includes only such plants as may have reached the island by 

 natural agencies ; and these 2 may be classified in three groups, namely : certainly 

 indigenous, probably indigenous, and doubtfully indigenous ; those of the last category 

 being mostly such generally diffused plants that it is impossible to say where they are 

 really native. The numbers are : — 



Species. 

 Certainly indigenous .......... 65 



Probably „ 24 



Doubtfully „ 5 



Total 94 



1 A Report upon the Present Position and Prospects of the Agricultural Resources of the Island of St 

 Helena, with a map showing the three zones of vegetation. By D. Morris. Colonial Office, 1884. 



2 Here, as in other comparisons, only the vascular plants are taken into consideration. 



