INSULAR FLORAS. 297 



however, some particulars gleaned from the publications 

 referred to, though they are mostly anterior to the date 

 (1885) to which I have limited myself generally in these 

 articles, adding a few remarks of my own on the distribu- 

 tion of the plants. 



Lord Howe Island is of small extent and peculiar con- 

 formation, situated about 300 miles from the coast of 

 New South Wales in 31 35' S. lat. It is seven miles 

 long with an average breadth of one mile, and the steep 

 circular flat-topped elevations rise to a height of nearly 

 3000 feet. Norfolk Island, the nearest land to the north- 

 east, is about 500 miles distant, and New Zealand, to the 

 south-east, somewhat farther off. The island is of volcanic 

 origin, consisting of three basaltic masses connected by 

 coral-sand rock. About 165 species of indigenous flower- 

 ing plants are known, and forty-eight ferns and lycopods. 

 As already indicated palms form a conspicuous feature in 

 the scenery. There are four species, all endemic, and 

 they have been very much named, though three out of 

 the four are well known under the generic name of Kentia. 

 They are K. Belmoreana, K. Canterburyana and K. For- 

 steriana — names familiar to many persons, as they have 

 long been favourite palms in cultivation on account of their 

 elegance and hardiness. A tall and graceful specimen of 

 K. Forsteriana is one of the finest ornaments of the central 

 part of the palm-house at Kew. The fact of there being 

 a good market for the seeds of these insular palms has led 

 to considerable destruction of the trees to obtain them ; but 

 I believe the Government of New South Wales has made 

 it a punishable offence to destroy trees on public territory. 

 Beccari (31) has founded the genus Howea for them, which, 

 if accepted, is the only endemic one. There are also four 

 indigenous tree ferns, three of which are endemic. But the 

 banyan trees {Fiats columnaris) are perhaps the most 

 striking objects in the vegetation. Several appear in the 

 photographs illustrating Wilson's Report, one of which is 

 said to cover an area of three acres ! Morcea Robinsoniana 

 is an outlying gigantic member of an African genus of 



Irideae very closely allied to Iris itself. It is known as the 



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