REPORT ON. THE BOTANY OF THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. 



233 



Out of a total of sixty-nine species of flowering plants, thirty-five are common to these 

 islands and the South-eastern Moluccas, as a comparison with the table at p. 107 shows. 

 Taking Polynesia as one area, sixty-three of the species extend to two areas ; fifty-two to 

 three areas; thirty-four to four areas ; twenty-four to five areas ; and ten to six areas : thus 

 leaving only six species which are restricted to Polynesia. But, as already observed, the 

 apparently endemic element in the collection does not figure in the table, because the con- 

 dition of the specimens is such that they cannot be described. Whatever the real 

 proportion of endemic species may prove to be, the fact will remain that a large number 

 of the species are widely diffused plants. One, Cansjera leptostachya, was previously 

 only known to inhabit Australia ; and there are three, Limnophila serrata, Phaleria 

 blumei, and Pipturus argenteus, only extending to the Malayan Archipelago and Australia. 

 So far as it goes, this fragment of the flora of the Admiralty Islands is more Malayan in 

 character than Polynesian. 



(bot. CHALL. EXP. PART III. — 1885.) 



C 30 



