72 Queensland's plant associations 



land (islands of Moreton Bay). The Malayan element 

 makes the base for the flora of the vine-scrubs. The wet 

 tropical part of Queensland has altogether a true Malayan- 

 Papuan flora, which shows that there was formerly a land 

 or island connection and an easy way for propagation of 

 this equatorial tropical flora southwards. But it would not 

 bo correct to regard Queensland's tropical flora only as a 

 new comer and a recent branch of the regions mentioned 

 above. All that we know seems to testify that : — 



1. The tropical " Malayan" flora of Queensland is only 

 a small rema;inder of a flora spread formerly over large 

 areas, which are now mostly sunken into the sea. Accord- 

 ingly, 



2. The flora does not consist only of the original Malayan 

 types. These made only a base, but it has been transformed 

 in the great number of genera and species, which are kno^\^^ 

 only from the Australian Tropics (endemic in Australia). 

 It seems that the separation took place at a very early 

 epoch, so that the ancestors of the present tropical flora 

 in Australia developed themselves quite independent of 

 the Malayan flora, and originated a large number of new 

 forms. 



Now we understand the difference between the Malayan 

 and the Australian elements, and we can imagine the struggle 

 which certainly took place after the best and largest localities 

 for the tropical flora disappeared under the sea level. In 

 the Southern part of Queensland there are some differences, 

 as the true Australian type is represented in a few special 

 forms in the vine scrub flora. I may mention for instance 

 the gigantic water gums {Eucalyptus botryoides) (besides 

 some other gums, as Euc. resinifera) in the vine-scrubs 

 on the basaltic mountains in Southern Queensland. Here 

 the contrast is not so great, and we find sometimes dinerent 

 transitions, especially in the brushes, which have in son e 

 places quite a mixed character. But we must not forgtt 

 that just here most of the Malayan types, which require 

 the most favourable conditions, are not so plentiful. 

 Antarctic elements are, of course, missing, the most curious 

 Fagus Moorei in the Macpherson Range being an interest- 

 ing exception. 



My studies in different parts of Queensland brought 

 me to the conclusion that the open forests in all parts of 



