14 OUTLINE OF PLANT GEOGRAPHY 



relics of an ancient wide-spread Tertiary flora derived from the 

 antarctic continent. 



In South Africa and South America there is direct communica- 

 tion with the lands to the north and a certain intermingling of 

 northern and southern types; but Australia and New Zealand 

 are completely isolated at present, and such former land connec- 

 tions to the north, which there is strong reason to believe once 

 existed, have completely disappeared. 



The vegetation of northeastern Australia (Queensland) and 

 New Zealand, is evidently related to that of the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago, and there is abundant evidence of former connections 

 with the tropical regions to the north. 



Western Australia was apparently completely separated from 

 Queensland, in the Cretaceous, and it has been thought that in 

 the ancient western continent the present extremely specialized 

 Australian flora had its origin. 



After the union of western and eastern Australia, and the 

 establishment of the extensive land tracts which now occupy most 

 of the great continent, it may be surmised that these western 

 plants invaded the territory to the east, encroaching upon the 

 Malayan rainforest flora, which has now become restricted to 

 a relatively narrow strip near the east coast where rich soils and 

 abundant rainfall have permitted it to survive. 



In New Zealand, although the climate is a temperate one, the 

 Malayan element is far more important than in Australia owing 

 to the abundant and well distributed rainfall over most of the 

 country. 



There is another very important element in the New Zealand 

 flora, especially in the south where one meets trees, shrubs and 

 herbs whose nearest relatives are in the colder parts of South 

 America: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Some of these have 

 also reached southeastern Australia and Tasmania. 



At present, New Zealand is separated from South America 

 by more than 90° of longitude and it is quite inconceivable that 

 these plants have been transported over such a vast expanse of 



ocean. 



During the Permian era, it has been held by many geologists, 

 that the present isolated southern land masses — i. e., South Africa, 

 South America, part of India, and Australia, — were united in a 



