98 M. Alphonse De Candolle's Review of 



pose the styptic taste of the fruit of Emhelia Ribes to depend very much upon 

 the quantity, and some peculiar quality, of this resinous substance. 



Of 180 species of Mifrsinecv (besides some that are doubtful), 58 are de- 

 scribed for the first time in this paper. They grow commonly on the hilly and 

 mountainous regions of the hottest parts of the globe. None have yet been 

 found l)ej'ond the 39th or 40th degree of latitude, viz. in Japan, whilst they 

 abound in Java, and in some parts of India and South America. Mr. Brown 

 (Botany of Congo) remarks, that no species is known in Africa, except at the 

 Cape, and on both sides of that continent, at the Canary Islands and Mauri- 

 tius, Bourbon and Madagascar. This fact is still true ; but as the Myrslnece of 

 hot countries grow chiefly in the mountains, it may happen that many may exist 

 in the higher regions of Congo, Guinea, and Central Africa. The 180 species 

 are distributed as follows : 112 in Asia and New Holland, 48 in America, and 

 20 in Africa. No species has been observed in two of these extensive divisions 

 of the globe. But if we descend to regions so far limited, as that about 50 

 may be reckoned for the whole surface of the earth, of which only 43 or 44 

 have been more or less visited by travellers, we shall find that the genera and 

 species of Mi/fsine(c are distributed as in the following Table. 



In the Table, some species have been omitted on account of the difficulty of 

 ascertaining their origin, and 14 are repeated twice or more, because they 

 grow in more than one region. The most sporadic or cosmopolite species, 

 Ardisia humilis of \ii\\\, is known already in six different regions, viz. Ceylon, 

 Bengal, Nipal, the Birmese kingdom, Cochinchina and the Indian Archipe- 

 lago. uEgiceras fragrans and Mtesa indica extend also over four or five re- 

 gions, which are nearly the same. Myrsiite Rapanea is found in three regions 

 of America, and ten other species in two regions, not far removed from each 

 other, except in the case of Myrsine africana, which appears to grow both at 

 the Cape and in the Azores. 



Of 100 species of 3iyrsineae, nearly 92 are limited to one region. This is 

 a large proportion, as, looking to similar calculations which I have made upon 

 more than 4000 species, founded upon the same distinction of regions, I find 

 only in Melastomacece and 3Iyrtacece a greater proportion of endemic species 

 (98 per cent.). In Anonaceoe it is 90; in Campamdacece, 84; in tiie genus 

 Polygonum, 76 ; in Cruciferce, 75 ; in Papaveracecc, 60, &c. 



