INSULAR FLORAS. 25 



and Union, having a total area of less than 9000 acres. 

 With but few and unimportant exceptions, the plants col- 

 lected in these smaller islands also inhabit St. Vincent. 

 Altogether about 1 1 50 vascular plants have been recorded 

 from the islands, though doubtless a number of them errone- 

 ously, as may be inferred from what is known of their general 

 distribution. Mr. Smith collected 977 species, of which it 

 is estimated 131 are colonists, leaving 846 indigenous 

 species. These are referred to 490 genera and 109 natural 

 orders, or rather more than half the orders of the world. 

 This flora being typical of the whole chain of islands, as 

 limited above, it may be worth while giving somewhat full 

 particulars of its composition, relationships and distribution. 

 The twelve predominating natural orders are: Leguminosse, 

 141 species; Gramineae, 58; Rubiacese, 52; Compositae, 

 45 ; Orchideae, 43 ; Euphorbiaceae, 38 ; Cyperaceae, 34 ; 

 Melastomaceae, 25 ; Malvaceae, 24 ; Convolvulaceae, 23 ; 

 Solanaceae, 22 ; and Piperaceae, 22. Comparing the fore- 

 going with Baron Eggers's figures (6) for St. Croix and 

 the Virgin Islands, at the other end of the chain, it is not a 

 little surprising to find that the twelve predominating orders 

 are the very same, and follow in exactly the same sequence! 

 Such an approach to uniformity is rare even in unbroken 

 stretches of land at points so distant from one another; much 

 less would it have been expected in islands separated from 

 each other by considerable expanses of water. The fact 

 seems to indicate no very remote period when there was 

 continuity of land. 



Pursuing these comparisons further, among flowering 

 plants Ipomoea is the most numerous in species in both 

 groups of islands ; and such other genera as Cassia, 

 Solanum, Panicum and Paspalum are strongly represented 

 in both groups. With regard to the endemic element, it 

 is similar in character at both extremities of the chain. The 

 following species have hitherto only been met with in St. 

 Vincent, but there is no endemic genus: Trigyncea anlillana 

 (Anonaceae), Spackca perforata (Malpighiaceae), Meliosma 

 Herbertii (Sabiaceae), Calliandra Gui/di ngii (Legum'mosse), 

 Psidium Guildingiamun and Gtistavia ant z liana (Myrtaceae), 



