838 PLANTS OF CENTRAL AUSTRALIA 



From the knowledge I then had of New Holland, or 

 Australian vegetation, I stated that its chief peculiarities 

 existed in the greatest degree in a parallel, included be- 

 tw^een 38° and 35° S. lat. which I therefore called the 

 principal parallel, but that these pecuharities or charac- 

 teristic tribes w-ere found chiefly at its western and eastern 

 extremities, being remarkably diminished in that inter- 

 mediate portion, included between 133° and 13S°, E. long. 

 These observations related entirely to the shores of Aus- 

 tralia, its interior being at that period altogether imknowu; 

 and the species of Australian plants, ^Yith waich I was 

 then acquainted, did not exceed 4200. Since that time 

 great additions have been made to the number, chiefly by 

 Mr. Allan Cunningham, in his various journeys from Port 

 Jackson, and on the shores of the North and North-west 

 coasts during the voyages of Captain King whom he ac- 

 companied ; by Messrs. William Baxter, James Drummond, 

 and M. Preiss, at the western extremity of the principal 

 parallel, and by Mr. Ronald Gunn in Van Diemen's Land. 

 It is probable that I may be considered as underrating 

 these additions, when I venture to state them as only be- 

 91] tween two and three thousand; and that the whole 

 number of Australian plants at present known, does not 

 exceed, but rather falls short of 7000 species. 



These additions, whatever their amount may be, confirm 

 my original statement respecting the distribution of the 

 characteristic tribes of the Nev\^ Plolland Flora ; some ad- 

 ditional breadth might perhaps be given to the principal 

 parallel, and the extent of the peculiar families may now 

 be stated as much greater at or near its western, than at 

 its eastern extremity. 



With the vegetation of the extra-tropical interior of 

 Australia we are now in some degree acquainted, chiefly 

 from the collections formed by the late Mr. Allan Cun- 

 ningham, and Charles Fraser, in Oxley's two expeditions 

 from Port Jackson into the western interior, in 1817 and 

 181S; from Captain Sturt^s early expeditions, in wdiich 

 the rivers Darling, Murrumbidgee, and i\lurray, were dis- 

 covered ; from those of Sir Thomas ]\Iitchcll, who never 



