It is, however, worthy of remark that although tribe VI — Abietnicct 

 contains the genus having the greatest geographical range of the whole order, viz., 

 Piniis with its seventy species, yet, occurring as it does in Europe, Asia, and 

 America, strange to say, it has not a single representative in these parts of the 

 world, and so could not be included in this research. 



The genera Callitris, Acfinostrobiis, Athrotaxis, Pherosphcera, and Micro- 

 cachrys are quite endemic, whilst Fitzroya occurs in Tasmania and Patagonia, and 

 Podocarpits is distributed nearl\- all over the tropical and sub-tropical regions of 

 the world, as well as in Australia and Tasmania. 



Agathis is represented by onl\- the two species which occur in Queensland, 

 and so this genus rmy perhaps be more regarded as a native of New Zealand, 

 Malaya and Fiji. Two species of Araucaria find a home in this island Continent, 

 although the genus, however, extends to New Caledonia, Chili, Bohvia, and Brazil. 



The Australian members of the Order range in size from small prostrate, 

 straggling shrubs, as Pherosphcera, to gigantic forest trees such as Agathis or 

 Araucaria, and are found to occur in a variety of situations, such as the arid 

 interior, the depths of the gullies, and on the very mountain tops. Naturally, 

 under so extensi\'e and diversified a geographical area there has been evolved 

 varying plant structures of self-adaptation to environment, although, on the 

 other hand, it has to be recorded that some of the species possess functional organs 

 similar to those that existed in plant fife far back in geological times. 



It may be stated that, as a general rule except in the case of Microcachrys, 

 their fruits, leaves, mode of fertilisation, and pollination present a similarity such 

 as' obtains amongst their congeners in other parts of the world. 



This investigation, in addition to the new economics brought to light, has 

 also resulted in revealing some new and important anatomical, physiological, and 

 organographical features, as well as producing further evidence upon which some 

 phylogenetic hypotheses can be advanced concerning the age of the Australian 

 Pines, and in the case of Callitris we perhaps ha.ve the oldest living representative 

 of the Order. 



Much systematic work, founded on morphological characters only, has been 

 undertaken at various times on these Conifers, by such botanists as Robert 

 Brown, A. Cunningham, Hooker (father and son), Parlatore, Miquel, Endlicher, 

 Dr. Masters, Bertrand, Van Tieghan, and Baron von Mueller. These scientists 

 have added much to our knowledge of the Australian Pines. Little research, 

 however, appears to have been done previously as regards investigating their 

 histology, physiology, phylogeny, embryology, and chemistry. 



