THE GEXUS MATfETTIA 11 



Indian islands, from the chief of which M. coccinea is recorded, 

 Jamaica shares M. Lygistum (the first species discovered) with 

 Hayti (San Domingo), the latter having two other native species, 

 M. calycosa — found also in Colombia and Venezuela — and M. domin- 

 gensis, endemic in Hayti. In Dominica are found M. coccinea and 

 the endemic 21. domiiiicensis. 



Throughout Central America and the West Indies there are thus 

 only two of the large-flowered species (Pyrrhanthos), namely, 

 M. zimapanica, endemic in Mexico, and the isolated M. domingensis, 

 peculiar to Hayti. Of the second main group — Heterochlora — 

 the sole representative outside of the South American continent is 

 M. calycosa, which has been recorded from Hayti. 



As a matter of fact, outside the South American continent only 

 eleven species are native ; and all of these, with the exception of 

 M. calycosa, M. flexilis, and I£. coccinea, are absent from South 

 America. 



Turning now to the latter continent, this is the home of the 

 large majority of the species. The distribution of these ajipears 

 peculiar largely, no doubt, because of the limitations of the areas over 

 which collections have been made. But even allowing for this, and 

 having in comparative view the distribution of other genera depending 

 much upon the same collectors, certain points in the distribution 

 of Manettia are very remarkable. Thus, there are two main areas, 

 namely, 1st. Western South America — including Colombia, Western 

 Venezuela, Ecuador, Pera, and Bolivia ; and 2nd. Eastern tropical 

 South America — -including the eas^ coast of Brazil, from Ceara in the 

 north to San Paulo (as far as the Capricorn line) in the south, and 

 tropical Paraguay. Beside these are two minor areas of distribution ; 

 3rd. Northern — including eastern Venezuela, Trinidad, and Guiana ; 

 and 4th. Temperate South America — including southern Paraguay, 

 Entre liios, temperate Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. 



The extraordinary limitation of the distribution may be judged 

 from the figures : — Only one species is common to the first two — the 

 principal — areas, namely, M. cordifolia (and var. glabra). The 

 same species occurs also in the last, the temperate area. The rest of 

 the species native in the eastern area, 20 in all, are j^eculiar to that 

 area ; they comprise 4 of the § Pyrrhanthos, 4 of § Heterochlora, 10 

 of § Lygistum (including M. capituta and 3Iiersiana) ; and M. 

 mil is and M.Jimhriata of § Ysginanthus. The Temperate area has, 

 beside M. cordifolia, only 5 native species, all peculiar to it, viz. 

 M. Tweediana, 31. chrysoderma, and M. suhlanata, of § Pyrranthos ; 

 and M. inflata, M. quinquenervia, of § Heterochlora. Neither of 

 the small-ilowered sections is represented. 



The northern minor area has three native species : the two 

 endemics M. alba and M. Spraguei, and M. coccinea, the latter 

 occurring in Guiana and in Trinidad, by way of wliich it passes to its 

 West Indian distribution. 



We have now to consider the Western area. This is strikingly 

 poor in large-llowered forms, for onl}' two § Pyrrhanthos are native, 

 M. cordifolia in Peru and Jioli\ ia, and M. boliciana. Of § Hetero- 

 chloia there are four native species, viz. M. Smithii, M. calycosa. 



