INSULAR FLORAS. 379 



Strange to say the upper zone of vegetation is less 

 alpine in character than that of the mountains of Mada- 

 gascar and Tropical Africa. Cruciferae, Caryophylleae, 

 Umbelliferae, Primulaceae and Gentianacese, as well as her- 

 baceous Rosacese and Saxifragaceae, are either exceedingly 

 rare or entirely absent. In Madagascar, where the highest 

 point is barely 8500 feet, the following familiar genera 

 occur : Ajuga, Alckemilla, Cattcalis, Crassula, D?-osera, 

 Epilobium, Genista, Geranium, Linum, Pimpinella,Sanicula> 

 Stachys, and Viola, besides many others which are unknown 

 among the native plants of Bourbon. 



Gymnosperms are also unrepresented, both in the indi- 

 genous vegetation, and among the numerous naturalised 

 plants. It is the same in Mauritius ; but in Madagascar 

 one species each of Cycas and Podocarpus has been dis- 

 covered ; the latter being prominent in certain districts. 



Finally, I may add that the following orders are strongly 

 represented in the Bourbon flora : Malvaceae (Dombeya, 2 1 

 species, and Ruisia, Astiria, and Trocketia, regional 

 genera) ; Rutaceae (Evodia) ; Urticaceae (Ficns, and Obetia 

 and Maillardia, regional genera) ; Euphorbiaceae and Con- 

 volvulaceae. 



Since the untimely death of Dr. H. Baillon another 

 part (68) of the admirable illustrations of the flora of 

 Madagascar has appeared. It consists largely of plates 

 for intercalation, and the highest number is 340. Unfor- 

 tunately no descriptive or explanatory letter-press has been 

 published in connection with these plates and none is likely 

 to be forthcoming. Surgeon-Major H. H. Johnston has 

 published (69) an enumeration of plants collected by him- 

 self and regarded by him as indigenous in Mauritius, 

 though they are not included in Baker's Flora. The 

 total is fifty species, half of which are cellular crypto- 

 gams. There is nothing specially remarkable amongst 

 them. The same gentleman has published an account (70) 

 of the vegetation of the small islands in the Mahebourg 

 Bay, Mauritius, namely : He de la Passe, He Vakois, He 

 aux Fouquets, He aux Fous, He Marianne and Rocher des 

 Oiseaux. These islands are of coralline limestone forma- 



