Bd. IV: II) TUE LICHENS. 6$ 



If we take the endemic species only we find that 8 fruticulose species or about 

 42 % are endemic, 10 or only 55 % of the foliaceous species and 49 or about 71 % 

 of the crustaceous species are endemic antarctic species. Taking all the species 

 together 6j or 6} % are endemic, 33 or 30 % are american, 25 or 23 % are New 

 Zealandese, 16 or 15 % are South Georgian and 21 or 20 % are also found in other 

 countries. These figures clearly establish a very close affinity between the antarctic 

 lichenflora on the one hand and the American and New Zealand flora on the other 

 hand. The difference — to the disadvantage of the latter is easily accounted for by 

 the greater nearness of the subantarctic American region to the extreme limit of the 

 southern drifting packice and by the fact that that portion of the Antarctic opposite 

 New Zealand has been least thoroughly explored lichenologically so far. But I do 

 not think that this latter circumstance is of great importance. 



The lichens of subantarctic America and New Zealand are evidently very nearly 

 allied. I have been able to draw up a list of 366 lichens belonging to the former 

 flora. Of these 113 or 31 % are found in New Zealand, and 32 or about 9 % in the 

 Antarctic, and 31 01-9 % in South Georgia. Going into details we can say that of 

 the 73 fruticulose lichens found in subantarctic America 38 or 52 % are found in 

 New Zealand. Of the 99 foliaceous 35 or 33 5 % are found in New Zealand. Lastly 

 of the 194 crustaceous species 39 or only about 20 % are met with in New Zealand. 

 It appears that the affinity of the subantarctic American and New Zealand floras 

 lies mainly in the fruticulose Lichens. The fruticulose forms are the oldest and 

 probably least variable at present. The crustaceous species are more variable and 

 have adapted themselves more to the local conditions, thus giving rise to new spe- 

 cies. This accounts partly for the greater difference of the floras as far as the 

 crustaceous species are concerned. Another reason for the greater difference is I 

 think to be sought in the human factor. Too often »new species» are made owing 

 to the fact that the descriptions of the older ones are so inadequate as to make it 

 impossible to determine the specimens by the descriptions found in the Literature. 

 It is very likely therefore that many crustaceous species are not really good species 

 and their number should really be much reduced. HELLBOM enumerates 740 species 

 of Lichens for New Zealand. 



In a previous paper I have compared the arctic species of lichens with those of 

 the Tirol. The arctic area has 495 lichens. Of these 358 or 72.3 % are found in 

 the Tirol. Going into details 85.2 % of the fruticulose, 78 % of the foliaceous and 68.4 

 % of the crustaceous arctic species are recorded also in the Tirol. Thus the relation 

 of arctic to alpine lichens is much greater than subantarctic American to New Zea- 

 land species. It means that the latter both are further from the point of common 

 origin. 



