1S68.] DRUMMOND — COMPARATIVE FLORAS. 433 



most, of these species are supposed to occur, have received but a 

 limited exploration. Though Sabbatia gracilis, Utricular ia, 

 subulata, and Ilex glabra are probably errors, I have had no 

 hesitation in admitting Rhododendron maximum, Phlox macu- 

 lata, TricJtostema dichotomum, Andromeda tetragona, and even 

 Gnaphalium sylvaticum, which occurs in Labrador and may very 

 well be found within our extreme north-eastern limits. The 

 same course in admitting or rejecting species has been adopted 

 with regard to other authors. 



Special reference will hereafter be made to introduced plants. 

 Here, in order to exhibit the mass of the vegetation of each 

 country and the relative proportions which classes, orders and 

 genera bear to one another with regard to the entire number of 

 species which they include, both indigenous and introduced 

 plants are, without distinction, embraced in the statistics of species 

 now given. 



As far as considerable care can extend the catalogue, there are 

 1,676 flowering and filicoid plants in Ontario and Quebec. Of 

 these, 1,161 are referable to dicotyledonous, 450 to monocoty- 

 ledouous, and 65 to filicoid species. Monocotyledons are thus to 

 dicotyledons as 1:2.5, and to phsenogams as 1:3.5. In the 

 Northern States the relative numerical proportions are almost 

 identical, and the extension of the comparison to the whole Union 

 does not much alter them. The large number of monocoty- 

 ledonous species is very remarkable, and evinces a climate and 

 physical conditions very favourable to these plants. Again, 

 filicoid plants are to phsenoganis in the Provinces as 1 to 25, 

 whilst in the Northern States they are as 1 to 28.7. 



Some facts of considerable interest are presented by the 

 relations which the different orders bear to one another, and to 

 flowering plants, with respect to the number of included species. 

 In ten natural orders are grouped nearly one-half of our in- 

 digenous and introduced species, and eighteen orders represent 

 about two-thirds of them. Another interesting feature which 

 appears quite as conspicuous in the United States flora, is that 

 CyperaceEe, Graminse, Orchidacese, and Liliaceas embrace the 

 greater portion of our endogenous plants. Again, in the United 

 States, east of the Mississippi, the Compositae number l-7th, and 

 the Cyperacese 1-1 lth of the entire phaenogamous flora ; whilst in 

 the Provinces the same orders comprise nearly l-9th and 1-llth, 

 and in the Northern States l-8th and 1-1 0th respectively. The 



