BY E. C. ANDREWS. 551 



The interesting problem of the development of Myrteae in extra- 

 Australian areas, is one which can be settled at all definitely only 

 by long and continued study of the habit of each tree, the soil in 

 which it grows, and the climatic aspect which it favours, in tropi- 

 cal America, Asia and Africa. 



The origin of the capsular-fruited Myrtaceae may now be con- 

 sidered. 



In Upper Cretaceous time, Australia doubtless extended much 

 farther northward and southward than it does at present, and a 

 long and wide inland sea practically separated the continent into 

 two portions, with a possible connection to the south between east 

 and western points, but such possible connection could not have 

 affected the distribution of the Myrtaceae for a long period of time. 

 The south-western portion of the continent was very large, and 

 doubtless had a considerable extension beyond its present limits.* 



Tasmania and Antarctica appear to have been joined to Aus- 

 tralia, and the Eastern portion of the continent probably had a 

 moderate extension seawards. t 



New Zealand also probably had a connection indirectly with 

 Australia by way of New Caledonia, the North-eastern corner of 

 the continent, on the one hand, and by way of Antarctica, on the 

 other hand. 



In this northern portion of Australia, before separation from 

 Asia, the fleshy-fruited Myrtaceae found themselves in an area 

 of warm and moist climate, but of relatively poor soil. The land 

 to the south awaited occupation by hardy types, and the Lepto- 

 spermeae, with the exception of the Eucalypteae and the Metrosi- 

 dereae, appear to have been developed in response to the existence 

 of this poor soil. There appear to have been two divergent de- 

 velopments from the earlier forms of the capsular types. The one 

 was represented by the broader-leaved forms of the Euleptosper- 



*See also A. R. Wallace, "Island Life," p.487-508. 

 tSee also C. Hedley, " Zoogeographic Scheme for the Mid -Pacific." 

 These Proceedings, 1899; and Benham, Rept. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 

 1902, pp. 319-343. 



