800 



REPORT — 1902. 



taMeland -which covered the greater part of the area during Eocene and Miocene 

 times. 



The adjacent valleys of the high lateral tablelands have been eroded down 

 to a depth of 4,000 feet below the original level of the older Tertiary valleys. 

 Some of the high peaks may be included in the Tectonic class, such as Mount 

 Cobberas, &c. 



An idea of the general botanical features is given by referring to the character 

 of the principal species of each natural order now flourishing at elevations between 

 5,000 and 7,000 feet, which is referred to as the Alpine area ; that between 2,000 

 and 5,000 feet is called sub- Alpine. 



It is shown that commingled with a majority of Antarctic types of plants at 

 the higher altitudes are also some European, South African, and Polynesians, 

 thus indicating oscillating land surfaces and alternating climatic conditions, per- 

 mitting waves of vegetation, or the migration of plants across land surfaces now 

 submerged, since early Tertiary times, when the vegetation of a tropical character 

 overspread the area. 



The dominating influence of climate in the evolution of varieties of plants 

 over that exerted by geological formations, or the soils derived therefrom, is 

 especially referred to, and numerous cases cited, particularly in regard to the 

 eucalyptus vegetation. 



The strongest affinity undoubtedly exists, as pointed out by Sir J. Hooker, 

 with the Tasmanian flora, and Antarctic types prevail, although there are not 

 wanting evidences of affinity with South Africa, Polynesia, and the mountains of 

 New Guinea and Morocco. The whole of the evidence now available to date 

 confirms the original forecast of Sir J. Hooker, that the antecedents of the peculiar 

 Australian flora, as a whole, may have embraced an area to the west of the present 

 Australian continent analogous with South Africa, and that the bond of affinity 

 between the Antarctic and South African floras indicate them as members of one 

 great vegetation which may have covered as large an area as the European does 

 in the northern hemisphere. This would also imply, in my opinion, not only a 

 land connection between Australia and South Africa by Avay of Antarctica, but 

 also land connections to portions of Polynesia, New Zealand, and South America, 

 during Tertiary times. 



The orders represented by the greatest 

 number of species, taking the first twelve 

 of the whole flora, are : — 



Musci 



LeguminosesB 

 CompositeEe 

 Filices 

 Myrtacese . 

 Cyperaceae . 

 Graminese . 

 Lichena 

 Proteaceee . 

 Orchideas . 

 Rutacese . 

 Labiatese . 



Above the 5,000-foot level the numerical 

 relations of the species to the orders 

 are as follows: — 



35 



28 



25 



22 



19 



11 



9 



8 



7 



7 



7 



7 



A comparison with the florula of a British area, the Clyde watershed and the 

 Isle of Arran, visited by the author, shows that there are thirty-six natural 

 orders, 156 genera, common to the Australian Alps and this area, and sixty-eight 

 identical species. A considerable number are, however, immigrants to the 

 Australian area. 



The proportion between the arboreous, semi-arboreous, or shrubs, and the 

 herbaceous plants, excluding the Gramineae and Cryptogams, is given. 



