GENERAL INTEODUCTION 35 



continent. This theory seems to lay too much stress on the 

 direct connection of Austraha with New Zealand, whereas the 

 facts of the case scarcely require any such connection. 

 Indeed, we have in recent times received from Australia 

 a few species of plants directly across the Tasman Sea. Species 

 of Olearia, Seiiecio, Epacris, and of the Orchidaceae, have 

 probably reached us in this way. All these plants, however, 

 are provided with seeds that are either small, or furnished 

 with a pappus, so that they may have readily been blown 

 across the intervening ocean by a high wind. The fauna, 

 however, shows that our connection has been with the islands 

 to the north, rather than with Australia. There is evidence 

 of a much more recent connection with New Guinea and 

 INIelanesia than with temperate Australia, which has 

 perhaps not been united with New Zealand since the 

 Triassic period. 



Other Foreign Elements. 

 Other important elements in the New Zealand flora are the 

 Antarctic and South American. It is difficult to measure their 

 amounts statistically, as they depend not so much upon com- 

 munity of species, as upon the similarity of representative forms 

 in many genera. The American section is that part of the 

 flora which shows resemblances to plants living in temperate 

 or tropical South America. The Antarctic element consists 

 of plants which are related to others found in one or all of the 

 following places : Patagonia, Southern Chili, Tierra del Fuego, 

 the Falkland Islands, Tristan d'Acunha, The Crozets, 

 Kerguelen Land and the mountains of Victoria and Tasmania. 

 The term " Antarctic " as applied to these plants has been 

 objected to, as all the districts referred to, lie outside of the 

 Antarctic Circle. Dr. Cockayne has suggested the word 

 " Fuegian," in place of it ; but it is probable that the more 

 correct term, " Sub- Antarctic," will be adopted. A few of the 

 plants belonging to this section are also found in South 

 Africa. 



