Brief Survey of the Affinities and History of the Cyprian Flora. 331 



Still greater interspaces exist in the distribution of certain other species. Thus Stymx ufficinalis; 

 Avhich in the Mediterranean countries is generally distributed from the south of France to Syria and Asia- 

 Minor, and which plays a I'ather predominant part in the vegetation of Cyprus, is, according to J. Perkins, 

 identical with S. callfurnira Torr., which belongs to California and the adjoining parts of North- America.") ■ 

 Liquidambar styrucifiud, which in the old world besides on Cyprus is only known to occur in Lycia and 

 in Caria in Asia-Minor, has in Central- America and the eastern parts of North-Ameiica a very wide- 

 spread distribution; closely allied forms, which most correctly may be considered as subspecies of this 

 same species, are L. macrophylla Oerst. in Central- America and L. formosana Hance on Formosa and in 

 southern China. The little pretty Zygophyllacea Fagonia eretica occurs besides on Cyprus also in Syria 

 and Arabia, on Crete, in Northern Africa, in Spain and on the Canary Islands ; very closely related forms, 

 considered by Engler as varieties of the same species, are F. californica Benth. in Mexico and California 

 and F. chilemia Hook, et Arn. in Chile; a third closely allied species is F. miniitist'qndu Engl, in Herero- 

 land. While Platanus orientalis is distributed in the Mediterranean countries and in south-western Asia, 

 towards east to the Himalayas, its nearest relative P. occidentalis L. (and a few closely allied forms which 

 by some authors are considered as different species) has a wide-spread distribution in North-America. 

 Abelicea eretica, a little shrub belonging to thQ elm-family, and which Kotschy has found in the mountains 

 above Melandrina on the northern coast of Cyprus, also grows on Crete, in the eastern part of Caucasus 

 and in the tracts south of the Caspian Sea; the other now existing species of this genus have their homes 

 in China and Japan. Bhiis Corkma is the only representative in the Mediterranean of a section rich in 

 species {Trichocarpae Engl.) of the genus Rhus, which is also distributed in North- America, East-Asia, 

 and the Himalayas. The little genus Laurentia, to which belongs L. tenella, common on Cyprus, has in 

 all about ten species, which are partly distributed in the Mediterranean countries, partly in South- 

 Africa and partly in North-America. 



It would not be difficult to mention several further instances of species with great intervals in 

 their present distribution, as well as species with close relatives in remote countries, whilst no such are 

 found in the neighbouring tracts. As everywhere when similar facts are met with, this question also here 

 suggests itself: To what extent may the intervals be explained through spontaneous transportation of 

 seeds under the prevailing geographical conditions, and to what extent is it necessary to consider the 

 present scattered occurrences as remains from a more continuous distribution in former times? 



Surely seeds of different plants are even to-day brought to Cyprus from abroad without the assi- 

 stance of man. Endozoic transport of seed across the sea through migrating birds has been proved to 

 occur (comp. p. .321), and it is equally mentioned on the preceding pages that the manner of occurrence 

 of certain maritime plants seems to indicate that the sea-currents carry with them seeds from the coast of 

 North-Africa to that of Cyprus (comp. p. 325); that the wind also may transport from other countries 

 seeds of certain plants to the island may be considered as highly probable. The occurrence on the island 

 of certain plants far from their other growing-places may thus probably be explained by spontaneous 

 seed-transportation over great distances. 



The intervals, however, which occur in the distribution of many plants, are too great to be explained in this 

 way. And the fact that such a great part of the plants of the Mediterranean countries, including numerous 

 peculiar, well-marked species, grow in one strongly limited tract only, often on a single quite small island, 

 or a single mountain, seems on the whole to suggest that spontaneous spreading of plant-seeds has not 

 here, in the course of the last thousands of years, been able to achieve very much. At least this is 

 apphcable to a great number of plants, also to several ones occurring on Cyprus, which we, from positive 

 reasons, may consider to be able to grow under the actual natural conditions over considerably wider 

 stretches than their present areas of distribution. If we take into consideration the considerable migrations 

 of plants which have taken place in Northern Europe in the course of the geologically short period after 



') J. Perkin-s i Englek, Ptianzeiiruich, IV, 241, y. 



