460 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



of the genera are monotypic, and exceedingly few number 

 half a dozen species ; whereas many genera of almost world- 

 wide distribution are represented by numerous endemic 

 species. Examples are : Hibiscus, Grewia, Vernonia, Heli- 

 chrysum, Euphorbia, Acalypha and Cyperus. To these might 

 be added examples of genera essentially of the African 

 region, of which there are numerous species endemic in the 

 island, namely, Psorospermimi, Do?Jibeya and Angrcecum. 



Wallace long ago pointed out the rarity of masses and 

 stretches of colour in the vegetation of the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and other travellers in tropical regions have been 

 impressed by the want of colour as compared with tem- 

 perate regions. Mr. Baron says of Madagascar: "There 

 are comparatively few plants having beautiful flowers. 

 There are no meadows anywhere in the island that can at 

 all compare with our English meadows for floral beauty. 

 Neither do the forests supply what is lacking in the 

 meadows. Any one entering a Malagasy forest with the 

 anticipation of seeing innumerable beautiful flowers would 

 be utterly disappointed, for they are extremely rare." This 

 does not imply that large and brilliantly coloured flowers 

 do not exist — larger and more brilliant than are to be found 

 at home perhaps ; but, as Baron remarks, they have to be 

 looked for. 



Coming to the "character and relationship of the Mada- 

 gascarian flora," Baron relies mainly on Baker's details and 

 generalizations (36), which, though put forward some fifteen 

 years ago, still hold good, and indeed have been strengthened 

 by subsequent discoveries. Briefly, there is a close affinity 

 between the tropical flora of Madagascar, Bourbon, Mauritius 

 and continental Africa, with a few isolated Asiatic types in 

 Madagascar that do not occur in Africa. There is perhaps 

 an even closer relationship between the upland flora of 

 Madagascar and the flora of the mountains of tropical 

 Africa and temperate South Africa. Identical species 

 occur in Madagascar and the mountains of the most distant 

 parts of Western Africa. Noteworthy among these species 

 common to continental Africa are Viola abyssinica, Geranutm 

 simense, Caucalis melanantha and Agauria salicijolia ; the 



