130 ON THE RELATIONS OF THE BRISBANE FLORA. 



it should be said, has very few species which extend so far 

 inland, and these are the only direct points of contact between it 

 and the South Australian flora. There are however about 12 

 per cent of species which are found in all the colonies as far even 

 as Western Australia. It is only in such instances that there is 

 anything in common between the flora of Brisbane and that of 

 West Australia. The plants are common in all Australia. 

 Sometimes they are common all over the world as well, but 

 sometimes they are typical Australian species, but found in every 

 part of the continent. There is no instance of a typical West 

 Australian species in the Brisbane flora. 



About eight per cent of the Brisbane plants are common and 

 widely distributed over the globe, but this estimate includes the 

 introduced plants. Some of these are equally widely spread in 

 Australia, but not all, because some are Asiatic or African weeds 

 and only found in sub-tropical climates. 



The tropical element in the flora forms about one-third of the 

 whole. This shows how thoroughly intermediate in character it 

 is. We have seen that the New South Wales, or as we may express 

 it, the South-east Australian element forms also one-third of the 

 flora. But the tropical element is of a varied character, partly 

 littoral, and partly belonging to dry and somewhat elevated lands. 

 In it we find nearly 14 per cent of species which extend into Asia, 

 for the most part into the Malayan Peninsula, or Indian 

 Archipelago, though some extend also into China and India. 

 Fully 3 1 per cent are common to Africa and Brisbane, but none 

 of these species are found in Africa without occurring in Asia a s 

 well, though for want of definite information the intermediate 

 stations appear very remote. Of species which are common in 

 America there are only 2£ per cent., and were all the introduced 

 plants eliminated from the estimate, the American element would 

 be probably reduced to nil. That is to say of purely American 

 forms, because a good many plants which I have classed as 

 widely distributed are to be found in America as in other places. 



