TEMPERATE FLORAS 39 



In New South Wales, as a whole, Leguminosae are first 

 and Orchids fifth in order. There is probably no other 

 purely temperate flora in which Orchids so distinctly take 

 the first place as in the vicinity of Sydney. 



The contrast in the numbers of species, in approxi- 

 mately comparable areas, between these two groups of 

 warm - temperate floras is fairly well marked throughout, 

 there being, with few exceptions, a decided preponderance 

 in the southern hemisphere. South Africa is undoubtedly 

 richer than China, though its area is less ; and perhaps than 

 the oriental region of Boissier ; while Chile compares 

 favourably with Japan or the Western Himalayas. Still, 

 the differences are not very pronounced, and are such as 

 appear due to their past history rather than to any existing 

 conditions. Those in the northern hemisphere (except 

 perhaps in the case of the Mediterranean coasts) have 

 probably been for a considerable period stationary or 

 expanding ; while those in the south have almost certainly 

 been far more extensive, and in later geological time have 

 been contracting, and thus crowding many species together, 

 as already explained. 



