Feb. 1903.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 319 



Notes ox a Census of the Flora of the Australian 

 Alps. By James Stirling, A.I.C.E.; Gov. Geolst. of 

 Victoria ; Cor. Mem. Linn. Soc. X.S.W. 



(Read 12tli February 1903.) 



lu preparing a census of the Flora of the Australian 

 Alps, the author has in view an inquiry into the origin 

 and distribution (Jf the mixed types of plants now flourish- 

 ing on the higher altitudes over South-East Australia, 

 and its relation to the Tertiary Floras of South-East 

 Australia. 



The present census is a preliminary contribution 

 towards that object, and as an aid to correlation with other 

 Alpine Floras. 



During the years 1875 to 1888 he collected 1019 

 species of plants in the valleys, ridges, peaks, and table- 

 lands of the region, at elevations between 2000 and 

 7000 ft., most of which were named by the late Baron 

 Ferdinand von Mueller, Government Botanist.^ The area 

 over which the plants were collected stretches from the 

 heads of the Yarra Eiver in Victoria, in a north-east 

 direction along the main watershed line dividing the 

 streams flowing north into the Murray Eiver from those 

 flowing south and south-east, to the Gippsland Lakes and 

 the Southern Ocean ; and in the lateral watershed lines and 

 tablelands to the region around Mount Kosciusko in Xew 

 South Wales; and covers an area of about 15.000 square 

 miles. 



The general study of the Flora shows ' that here, as 

 elsewhere, climatic conditions have exerted a dominating 

 influence in the evolution of varietal forms. This is 

 particularly noticeable in the Myrtacete, especially in the 

 genus Eucaliiptus. It has been pointed out that — 



" The existence of small colonies of mountain species 

 in the lowlands, as, lor instance, E. paucijlora and E. 



1 " Phanerogamice of Mitta Mitta Source Basin." Trans. Eov. Soc. 

 Vict., Part I., 1882 ; Part II., 1884. 



- " Physiography of Australian Alps." Trans. Aust. Assoc, for 

 Advancement of Science, Sydney Meeting. 



