president's address. 641 



to be brought up to date by utilising the results of the investiga- 

 tions of Baron F. von Mueller and others to make it of full value 

 at the present day. 



Hooker points out that what appears to be the indigenous 

 vegetation, and which is, taking the whole continent together, by 

 far the most important both in numbers and characteristics, has 

 been added to in different ways. The coast strip of the north 

 and east has been subject to an invasion of Indian and Malayan 

 forms. These are quite distinct in character from the true 

 Australian ones, which seem to have had their centre of distri- 

 bution in the south-west portion of the continent. 



Mixed up with the flora of the eastern part of Australia, and 

 especially in the south, is a group of plants from the northern 

 temperate regions, which seem to have forced their march upon 

 Antarctic lands by following down the Andes chain to the 

 extreme point of South America, leaving traces on the way, and 

 thence stepping across by land links, which once existed but have 

 now disappeared, the gaps between that continent and New 

 Zealand and Tasmania. This element of the flora is most largely 

 represented in New Zealand and Tasmania, but has also pushed 

 its way up Eastern Australia, particularly affecting the higher 

 mountain tops as they proceed northward, and we even find 

 representatives on mountains of great elevation in New Guinea, 

 and Borneo* 



It is remarkable that among the plants thus introduced into 

 Australia there are 1 7 European species, most of which occur in 

 Britain. 



It is almost needless to remark that the typical Australian 

 types are with few exceptions absent from New Zealand. 



Hooker further draws attention to the remarkable similarity 

 in character existing between the vegetation of South Africa and 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. Vic. Vol. II, Mueller, "Plants of Owen Stanley 

 Range in British New Guinea." 



Trans. Linn. Soc. Botany, Vol. II. Part 2. Dr. Stapf, '• Flora of 

 Mt. Kinabalu in North Borneo." 



