THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 195 



TABLE SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIVE FLOWERING PLANTS 

 AND FERNS, INDIGENOUS TO THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 



Common to Bahama Islands and Cuba 536 



Common to Bahama Islands, Mexico or Central America 311 



Common to Bahama Islands and South America 282 



Common to Bahama Islands and Southern Florida 322 



Common to Bahama Islands and Southern United States 170 



Peculiar to Bahama Islands % 56 



It will be seen from this table that there are about the same number of 

 plants common to the Bahamas and Cuba as are common to the Bahamas and 

 the southern United States including tropical Florida, the numbers being 536 

 as compared to 492. It is, therefore, evident that a study of the Bahama flora 

 does not indicate any ancient land connections either between Cuba on the 

 one side or Florida on the other. Neither does it furnish any proof against 

 the supposition of such land connections. The majority of the plants common 

 to the Bahamas and to the southern United States, extend also into other 

 tropical countries and it seems probable that these more widely distributed 

 species have invaded both the Bahamas and Florida from the south. Of the 

 492 plants common to the Bahamas and the United States, there are 40 that 

 are found only in these two regions. Their names and distribution are as 

 follows : 



Pinus bahamensis Griseb. New Providence, Andros, Abaco, Great Bahama, and 

 Berry Islands; Florida to North Carolina and Mississippi. 



Halophila engelmannii Aschers. Andros, South Bimini (Howe) ; Southern Florida. 



Eragrostis elliotti S. Wats. New Providence; Southern United States. 



Distichlis maritima Raf. (D. spicata (L.) Green.) New Providence, Watlings and 

 Inagua Islands; Southern United States. 



Inodes palmetto (Walt.) Cook. (Sabal Palmetto (Watt.) R. & S.) New Provi- 

 dence, Eleuthera, Watlings and Cat Islands; Southern United States. 



Coccothrinax jucunda Sarg. New Providence, Green Cay, Eleuthera, and Watlings 

 Islands; Florida. 



Thrinax floridana Sargent. North Cat Cay (Millspaugh) ; Southern Florida. 



Pseudophoenix sargentii Wendl. South Bimini (Millspaugh) ; Southern Florida. 



Aletris bracteata Northrop. Andros; Florida. 



Smilax beyrichii Kunth. New Providence; Southern United States. 



Smilax auriculata Walt. New Providence and Andros; Southern United States. 



Myrica cerifera L. New Providence and Andros; Southern United States. 



Ficus aurea Nutt. New Providence; Florida. 



Salicornia bigelovii Torr. Andros; Southern United States. 



Dondia linearis (Ell.) Millsp. New Providence; Southern Florida. 



Alternanthera maritima St. Hil. Andros; Southern Florida. 



Cassia aspera Michx. Eleuthera; Southern United States. 



Linum curtissii Small. New Providence; Florida. 



Xanthoxylon cribrosum Spr. Andros; Southern Florida. 



Polygala boykinii Nutt. Andros; Southern United States. 



