256 Essays. 
in south Chili and in Fuegia. Phormium is only found besides in Norfolk 
Island.* Cordyline has a few species in Norfolk Island and one species in 
Australia. Astelia is found in Fuegia, Oahu, and Tasmania. Areca sapida is 
believed to be confined to New Zealand and to Norfolk Island, but the genus 
is found in some islands of the Malay Archipelago. The three genera of the 
New Zealand tree-ferns, Cyathea, Alsophila, and Dicksonia, are also found in 
Norfolk Island and in Tasmania; and of the New Zealand ferns, gene- 
rally, it may be said, that their southern genera and species (excluding those 
few which are endemic) are also found in Norfolk Island, Tasmania, South 
America, and the Antarctic Islands ; and more sparingly in Juan Fernandez, 
Chiloe, the Falkland group, Tristan d’Acunha, Kerguelen’s Land, and the 
Cape. 
20. Moreover, of the three great natural orders, Leguminose, Myrtacee, 
and Proteace:s, so very common in Australia and tolerably so in Tasmania, 
but very few are found in New Zealand, and curiously enough these few do 
not belong to any of the great Australian genera, such as Acacia, Eucalyptus, 
Melaleuca, Grevillea, and Hakea. The Australian and Tasmanian species 
alone of the genus Acacia are upwards of 260 in number; and of Fuca- 
lyptus, Melaleuca, Grevillea, and Hakea, each genus numbers above 100 
species. Not a single species, however, of those great genera has been 
found in New Zealand. Of Leguminose, of which order Australia has 
upwards of 900 known species, and Tasmania nearly seventy, New Zealand 
possesses some seven or eight species, belonging to three small genera; one 
of which, Carmichelia, having five of the eight species, is confined to New 
Zealand ; and of another, Edwardsia (if separated from Sophora, a very small 
genus), the New Zealand species, E. grandiflora (as has been already shown, 
par. 19), is only found in Juan Fernandez and south Chili. Of Myrtaces 
(of which order Australia has upwards of 650 known species and Tasmania 
thirty-six), New Zealand has only fifteen species, belonging to four distinct 
genera, of which genera only one (Leptospermum) is found in Tasmania; 
and another of them (Myrtus), which has four species in New Zealand, is 
also not found in Australia. Of Proteacee (of which order Australia 
has also 650 known species and Tasmania only twenty-two), two species 
Since writing the above I have seen the following in an Auckland paper (New- 
Zealander, 2nd September, 1864).—‘“ AUSTRALIAN PHORMIUM TENAX.—The Pastoral Times 
of the 13th inst. says,—‘ Large quantities of this plant have been found growing in the 
mallee scrub on the Lachlan plains. The flax is three or four feet high, and from one inch 
convert into useful purposes. It is believed that by the aid of the small steamers running up 
our rivers, we shall be enabled to cóllect vast quantities of the article. Some specimens 
have already been aa! iaa " I have great 
doubts, however. 
