INSULAR FLORAS. 393 



dance ; and Cyathea Milnei, an endemic tree fern, is another 

 conspicuous object, often attaining a height of fifty or sixty 

 feet. From Mr. Cheeseman's tabulation of the distribu- 

 tion of the eighty-four phanerogams and thirty-one vascular 

 cryptogams collected, we learn that eighty-five are also 

 found in New Zealand, though only fourteen of them have 

 no wider diffusion. Forty-seven extend to Polynesia, but 

 of these no fewer than thirty-seven also inhabit New Zealand. 

 About forty of the species also occur in Lord Howe's 

 Island and in Norfolk Island, but with three or four excep- 

 tions they also occur in New Zealand ; and the same may 

 be said of those extending to Australia. Assuming the 

 palm to be correctly identified, though Mr. Cheeseman does 

 not appear to be absolutely certain on this point, it is the 

 only one of the peculiar Norfolk Island plants found in the 

 Kermadecs ; and none of the peculiar Lord Howe Island 

 plants occurs there. Finally it may be observed that the 

 endemic element is exceedingly small considering the great 

 isolation of the group ; only six species being described as 

 peculiar, namely, one herbaceous : Sccevola gracilis, and five 

 arboreous : Coprosnm acutifolia, Myrsine kemnadecensis, 

 Carumbium polyandrum, Bcehmeria dealbata (at first con- 

 fused with B. australis) and Cyathea Milnei. 



Passing southward we encounter the Chatham Islands, 

 concerning the botany of which there is nothing recent. 

 Next come the Bounty Islands, in about 47° 30' S. lat., which 

 support no vascular plants (6), and then Antipodes Island, 

 in about 49° 30'. Previous to 1890 the botany of this 

 island was quite unknown, but during that year Mr. T. Kirk 

 had an opportunity of landing there for a few hours (7). 

 The island is the crater - of an extinct volcano with a 

 diameter of about two miles ; the highest part being about 

 1300 feet. Its vegetation consists largely of coarse sedges 

 and grasses, though plants with showy flowers are not 

 altogether wanting ; the beautiful Pleurophyllum criniferum 

 (Composite) being as luxuriant as in the Auckland 

 and Campbell Islands. Stilbocarpa polar is (Araliacese) 

 is another prominent ornamental plant ; and a new white- 

 fiowered gentian, Gentiana antipoda, was very abundant. 



