STATISTICS OF METASPERMAE. 721 



From the nine tables preceding it will be observed that the 

 SE. element, forming 32. 5 per cent, of the total species, is the 

 largest numerically, while the NE., with but 2.3 percent, of 

 the total species, is the smallest. The NEW. element, form- 

 ing 16.7 per cent, of the total, is larger than the SEW. 

 element, which forms but 8.5 per cent, of the total. General 

 east and west ranging is more characteristic, then, of the 

 northern than of the southern element, and this fact is quite 

 in accord with the greater dispersion of the northern floral 

 elements. Of the NEW. element the actual percentages of Mono - 

 cotyledones and Archichlamydeae are in excess of the Metach- 

 lamydeae percentages, while in the SEW. element the re- 

 verse .is the case. These range -elements form similar per- 

 centages of the taxonomic groups. Of the Monocotyledones 

 and Archichlamydeae, respectively, 21.4 per cent, and 17. 2 per 

 cent, are placed in the NEW. element, while of the Metach 

 lamydeae only 11.5 per cent, are so enrolled. On the other 

 hand, in the Metachlamydeae 13. 1 per cent are entered as 

 SEW., while of the Monocotyledones and Archichlamydeae re- 

 spectively 6.6 per cent, and 5.8 per cent, are so entered. The 

 Archichlamydeae with 27.0 per cent, form, however, a larger 

 portion of the total SEW. element than do the Monocotyle- 

 dones with 22.0 per cent. 



The two vertically distributed groups are somewhat more 

 difficult to understand. The NSE. is in distinct preponder- 

 ance over the NSW., having 13.6 per cent, of the total 

 against 3. 5 per cent. This is on account of the general eastern 

 preponderance over western. Of the NSE. element the 

 Metachlamydeae with 19.8 per cent, are behind the Monocoty- 

 ledones with 36. 6 per cent, and the Archichlamydeae with 40. 9 

 per cent. Of the NSW. element, the Metachlamydeae are 

 ahead with 48.7 per cent, against 38.4 per cent, of Archich- 

 lamydeae and 12.8 per cent, of Monocotyledones. This differ- 

 erence between the two vertical elements is probably to be re- 

 ferred to the lateral influence of the mountain ranges east and 

 west of the Minnesota valley and to the angle made by the two 

 principal continental trenches the Mississippi valley and the 

 the lake- region valley of Canada and the boundary. It has 

 been easier for Metachlamydeae to move north and south 

 in the western part of the continent, for the general movement 

 has been from the south to the north; it has been easier for 

 Monocotyledones to move south and north, in the eastern part 



-46 



