1891.] D. Prain — The Vegetation of the Coco Group. 343 



in the shallower tidal pools on Great Coco, but the specimens were too 

 much withered to be determinable. 



[Where an asteriKsk pi%cedes the disti'ibution of any Fungus or Alga 

 it has been impossible to ascertain whether the species in question 

 extends beyond the area indicated]. 



§ § § Nature, Distribution, and probable Origin of the Flora. 



In this list 358 distinct species are recorded, distributed among 268 

 genera and 95 natural orders ; 297 species are Phanerogams and 61 are 

 Cryptogams, giving a proportion of nearly five flowering plants to one 

 fiowerless species, the exact proportions and percentages being : — 



Phanerogams : Cryptogams : : 4'85 : 1. 



Phanerogams = 83 % ; Cryptogams = 17 %. 



In the two groups Filices and Algce the list represents the Crypto- 

 gamic flora with probably the same degree of adequacy that it does the 

 Phanerogamic. In the other Cryptogamic groups it is to be feared the 

 representation is not so complete. Still the scarcity of Mosses and Lichens 

 is a very striking feature of the flora, so is the paucity of Ferns ; with all 

 three groups it is not merely a case of few species being present, there 

 are, except perhaps in the case of Ac7'ostichum scandens, which is common, 

 remarkably few individuals of these species. 



Among the 297 Phanerogams, 238 are Dicots ; only one of these 

 (JJycas Bumphii) is a Gymnosperm, the other 59 being Monocots. The 

 Dicots are distributed amongst 69 natural orders and 178 genera, the 

 Monocots amongst 14 natural orders and 45 genera. The proportions 

 and percentages here are : — 



Dicots: Monocots:: 4:1. 



Dicotyledons = 80 % ; Monocotyledons = 20 %. 



Altogether 66 per cent, of the flora consists of Dicotyledons, whilst 

 among these the Polypetalce exceed in number the rest of the groups 

 combined, a somewhat unusual circumstance, since, as regards species at 

 least, the Indian Gamopetalce usually exceed the Polypetalce ; Polypetalce 

 here constitute, as it happens, one-third, or 33 % of the whole flora. 



There are only 15 Vascular Cryptogams in the list as against 46 Cel- 

 lular Cryptogams ; these are together distributed amongst 45 genera and 

 22 natural ordei-s ; The proportions and percentages are : — 



Vascular : Cellular : : 1 : 3. 



Vascular Cryptogams =» 25 % > Cellular Cryptogams = 75 %, 



The subjoined table gives a synoptic view of the systematic disposi- 

 tion of the Coco Island Flora. 



