Proceedinrfs. 23 



Madagascar may be said to contain three divisions in its 

 flora. The vegetation of all the lower region is tropical in 

 character ; but the plants of the eastern coast differ from 

 those of the western coast, and the flora of the plateau is 

 different again; very few species are common to all three 

 regions. The flora of Madagascar is not completely worked 

 out, but already it is known to contain 143 natural orders, 

 including 980 genera, and from 3000 to 4000 species. By far 

 the larger number of the species are endemic to Madagascar, 

 whilst of the natural orders only one is endemic. This is the 

 order CldienacecB, allied to MalvacecE ; it contains about twenty 

 species. One in seven or eight of the genera found in Mada- 

 gascar are endemic ; whilst four out of every five species are 

 endemic. 



Taking part in the composition of the flora are several 

 species belonging to such widely-spread tropical genera as 

 Hibiscus, Vitis, Crutaluria, Casda, Mimosa, Solanum, Croton, 

 Piper, Ficii-o, Ipomaa, Aspleniuni, Pohjpndium, and Ptens, 

 some of which contain in all 300 or 400 species, or even 

 more, and are fairly represented in Madagascar. About 100 

 wide-spread species are found, including Hibiscus tiliaceus, 

 Sonchus asper and oJeraceiis, Panicum Crus-gaUi, Cynodon 

 Dactylon, Cassia occidentalis, and Cladiuni ^hniscm. A few 

 handsome flowers are found in Madagascar, such as some of 

 the Clcenacem, with large purple blossoms ; but the chief interest 

 of its flora lies in its aflinities with other countries ; its afiinity 

 with Africa is strongest. Amongst African genera found in 

 Madagascar are Plujlica, Pentas, Anthuspermum, KricincHu, 

 Philippia, Selagn, Hi/drostnchi/s, Dombeya, Streptocarpiis, Aloe, 

 Landolphia, and Aiiyracum. 



Several genera and a considerable number of species are 

 common to Madagascar, Comoro, and the Seychelles, as Fcetidia 

 (belonging to Myrtacea>), Phyllarthron, and Colea (belonging 

 to BignoniacecB), Hadawaa (belonging to ScrophuJariacem), Obetia 

 (belonging to Urticacece), Clematis mauiitiana, AcalypJta colorata, 

 F/ulop]iin scripta, Suiilnx anceps, Cyperus feirw/ineus, &c. 



With Asia the affinities are slight, there being but eighteen 

 or twenty species in common. Amongst these are Barrinytonia 

 spixiusa, Afzelia bijuga and A. scarabaoides, Poiiyainia glabra. 



