Abstracts. 65 



The author draws the foUowiiiy: conchjsions from his analysis of the two floras : — 



1. Amongst the identical families many are of very general distribution ; others, 

 such as the Elteocarpacece, Aristoielice, Cunoniaceos, Halorrhagacece, &c., are of wide 

 distribution over the Southern Hemisphere ; others, again, have their headquarters 

 in the tropics, extending thence into the neighbouring regions {Sapindncece, Anacardi- 

 acecB, &c.). 



2. The comparison of identical genera not possessing identical species emphasizes 

 the correspondence with genera of the >Sonthern Hemisphere, and especially of the Ant- 

 arctic region, more than does a comparison of families, the ferns alone showing a special 

 affinity to the tropical flora. 



3. The identical species are either m^'kedly ubiquitous, as along the coast-line, 

 or belong to the Southern Hemisphere in general, while of special interest are the 

 numerous Antarctic species. 



4. Regarding the families which occur in New Zealand but not in Chile, some have 

 a wide distribution (CaprifoliacecB and Piifosporacece), others belong to the tropics, and 

 Stackhousiacece and Myoporacece are Australian types. 



5. As for the families found in Chile but not in New Zealand,- naturally many ai-e 

 American, whilst some are confined to Chile (especially Andine South America or Juan 

 Fernandez). The greater number of genera in these families than in (4) depends upon 

 the greater extent of Chile, and, moreover, on the fact that it is bound by land to the 

 rest of South America, whereas New Zealand is an archipelago. 



Finally, it must be pointed out that the Eucryphiacece of southern Chile are absent 

 in New Zealand, but occur in Australia. L. C. 



5. *' The Male Gametophyte of />/cn/f//w»;." by M. S. Young. {Botanical 

 Gazette, xliv. pp. 189-96. pi. xix. 1907.) 



The material used for the investigation was collected in New Zealand by the re- 

 viewer, and consisted of staminate strobili of Dacrydium biforme, D. BidiviUii, D. cupressi- 

 nuvi, D. laxifolium, and young ovules of the two last-named and D. intermedium. No 

 complete series was obtained from any one of the species. At the time of the research 

 the only previous work on the subject was that of Coker in 1902 on Podocarpus coriacea, 

 the gametophytes of the Podocarpinece being quite unknow^l. The following is the 

 author's summary of her results : — 



" 1. There are two prothallial cells cut off from the main body of the spore. In 

 Dacrydium Bidwillii usually only the second divides ; in D. laxifolium and D. cupressinum 

 both divide. 



''2. The generative cell divides by an anticlinal wall, one daughter cell functioning 

 as a body cell, and the other being sterile. In some cases both produce body cells. 



" 3. The walls of the prothallial cells and the two generative daughter cells dis- 

 appear. 



■' 4. The mature^pollen-grain contains the body cell and five or six free nuclei, 

 according as the^first prothallial cell has or has not divided." L. C. 



.John M.iCKAY, Government Printer, Wellington.-— ]909. 



[l'2.'j0/7/09— 7640 



