248 Dr. J. D. Hooker on the Vegetation 
ranthus itself, and these hardly identical with previously described plants, 
there is no species common to the Galapagos and adjacent continent. The 
Amaranthacee form 35 of the Phenogamous Flora of the Galapagos, which 
is a ten-times greater proportion than the order bears to the vegetation of the 
whole globe. 
FiuicEs.—The very variable characters of the species belonging to this 
order and their geographical limits being very far from defined, I hesitate in 
considering the data they afford as of equal value with those obtained from 
the Pheenogamic Flora. The number found in the Galapagos, 28, is certainly 
small, considering how numerous they are on Cocos Island, a very few 
degrees to the north, and on Juan Fernandez to the south. "Their scarcity, 
together with the absence of any Tree-fern, is no doubt due to the dryness of 
the land and atmosphere, though the upper regions, where an epiphytical 
orchideous plant flourishes, are to all appearance sufficiently hamid for their 
wants. Judging from botanical grounds of the humidity of a climate, we 
must be guided by the prevalence of Ferns or their scarcity ; and when the 
nature of the species belonging to this order is considered, it will be found 
that many of the Galapageian species are common to drier parts of and arid 
places in the tropics, such as Marginaria incana, Litobrochia pedata, Poly- 
stichum coriaceum, Nephrodium molle and some others; whilst the extensive 
genera Hymenophyllum and Trichomanes are entirely wanting, together with the 
whole order of Lycopodiacee, including that most frequent of all tropical plants, 
L. cernuum, L.. A small proportion, equalling 3 of the whole, are new; the 
remainder are the common plants of the West Indies and South America. 
The Galapagos are further the only tropical group of islands of any extent 
which contain no Dicksoniew and Cyathee, except the Cape Verds; a further 
evidence of the aridity of the climate. 
The remaining orders are all small and demand little notice ; they may 
however be enumerated under three heads, according to the distribution of 
the Galapageian species they contain :— | 
1. Orders, all the Galapageian species of which are common to both the 
o and new world, are :—Menispermee 1; Cruciferee 1; Caryophyllea 2 ; 
Sapindacem 1; Zygophyllec | ; Rhizophoree 1 ; Sceevolee | ; Plumbaginec | ; 
Commelinee |. : 
