584 PLANTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 



New South Wales 87, and Queensland 61. These numbers need 

 careful revision, especially in the last colony, but nevertheless 

 they give an approximate idea of the great extent and geographical 

 distribution of the species generally. It is worthy of remark that 

 only one (A. FarnesianaJ is common to tropical countries of the 

 Old and New World, whilst with the exception of a few species 

 in New Caledonia, the Indian Archipelago, and the Pacific 

 Islands, nearly all the forms described in the Flora Australiensis 

 are truly endemic. A. decurrens (the common Wattle), one of 

 the most widely distributed species, extends from Tasmania, 

 through South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales into 

 Queensland. Whilst A. longifolia, in one form or other, has a 

 similar range. So far as New South Wales is concerned, the 

 genus Acacia impai'ts a peculiar character to the vegetation ; and 

 in the far interior many of the plains derive a name from the 

 frequent occurrence of A. pendula and A. homolophjlla. The 

 species, being for the most part harsh in their foliage and capable 

 of enduring a very high temperature, seem peculiarly adapted 

 for such localities ; and, as appears from the occurrence of the 

 genus in Tasmania, some species can endure a considerable 

 amount of cold. 



Whilst, however, certain alpine plants connect the Flora of 

 N. S. Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania with that of New Zealand, 

 the genus Acacia is not represented there, nor, according to the 

 Flora Australiensis, do any forms of our Legutninospe extend in 

 that direction and to South America, excepting Lophora. Mr. 

 Bentham, in taking a review of the Leguminosce generally, 

 states, that " of the 92 Australian genera, 33 are dispersed over 

 the warmer regions of the Old and New World, of 20 other 

 tropical genera, 13 are in Africa and Asia but not in America, 

 2 in America and Asia, but not in Africa, 4 in Asia alone, 1 

 ( Erythrophleum) only in Africa ; 4 more of the Australian genera 

 belong to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, 1 

 (Clianthus) extends only to New Zealand, and 31 are endemic in 



