Systematic Botany.} 



SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 



463 



The Compositae, whicli occupy the first place in New Zealand, with a percentage 

 of 14, in the southern islands take the third place, with a percentage of 11-3. In the 

 islands the leading position is occupied by the Filices, with a percentage of 17, against 

 8"1 in New Zealand ; while the second place is taken by the grasses, with a percentage 

 of 15"4. In New Zealand the grasses take the fifth place, with a percentage of 7*2. 

 A remarkable feature is that the Orchidaceae take the fourth place, with a percentage 

 of 5*6 ; whereas in New Zealand they stand seventh, with a percentage of only 3'6. 

 Orchids are so rare in insular floras (see Mr, Hemsley's remarks in the " Botany of 

 the ' Challenger ' Expedition," Introduction, p. 27) that it is a most singular circum- 

 stance that they are relatively more numerous in the islands to the south of New 

 Zealand than they are in New Zealand itself. They are absent from the whole of 

 the Kerguelen - South Georgia group of islands, and only two genera, with five 

 species, are known from Fuegia. The Cyperaceae, which stand third in New Zealand, 

 are fifth in the islands ; the Scrophulariaceae, fourth in New Zealand, with a per- 

 centage of 7*2, cannot possibly be placed higher than sixteenth in the islands, and 

 consequently do not find a place in the above table ; Umbelliferae, sixth in New 

 Zealand, are eighth in the islands. On the other hand, the Cruciferae and Caryo- 

 phyllaceae occupy a higher position in the southern islands than on the mainland of 

 New Zealand. 



It will be as well to give a few particulars respecting the relationships of the 

 fifty-three endemic species, among which I have included a few well-marked varieties. 

 The information is best presented in the following manner : — 



1. Ranunculus pinguis, Hook. f. 



2. ,, subscaposus, Hook. f. 



3. „ aucMandicus, A. Gray 



4 Cardamine depressa, Hook, f., var. 

 stellata 



5. Stellaria decipiens, Hook. f. 



6. ,, var. angustata, 



T. Kirk 



7. Colobanthus muscoides, Hook. f. . . 



8. Geum albiflorum, Cheesem. 



9. Acaena Sanguisorbae, Vahl., var. 



antarctica, Cockayne 



10. Epilobium confertifolium. Hook. f. 



11. Azorella reniformis, Hook. f. 



12. Ligusticum latifolium, Hook. f. 



13. „ antipodum, Hornb. & 



Jacq. 



14. Ligusticum acutifolium, T. Kirk . . 



Very closely allied to the New Zealand R. Monroi, Hook, f., 

 wkich. was united with it by Hooker. 



These two species are nearly related to one another, but are by 

 - no means closely allied to any of the New Zealand or South 

 American forms. 



Schulz, in his monograph of the genus, places C. depressa in 

 his section Cardaminella, which, with the exception of 

 C. corymbosa, Hook. f. (C. hirsuta, var. corymbosa), is re- 

 stricted to a few species from the Northern Hemisphere, and 

 of which C. bellidifolia is taken as the type. In the " Flora 

 Antarctica " Hooker draws attention to the relationship of 

 C. depressa to C. bellidifolia. 



Of the species found in the Southern Hemisphere, the New 

 Zealand S. parviflora is probably the nearest to these two 

 plants. 



The closest ally of this appears to be the Kerguelen Colobanthus 

 herguelensis, Hook, f., which, however, is a much larger and 

 finer plant. 



Close to G. parviforum, Smith, which occurs in New Zealand, 

 Fuegia, and Chili. 



Only a trivial variety of the New Zealand and Australian A. 

 Sanguisorbae, which extends to Tristan d'Acunha and Am- 

 sterdam Island, but not to Fuegia or the Kerguelen Group. 



Nearest to the New Zealand species of the genus. 



A very close ally of the New Zealand A. Haastii, small states 

 of which can hardly be separated from it. 



Very distinct, with no near allies, but probably closer to 

 L. intermedium, L. Lyallii, and L. Haastii of New Zealand 

 than to any other species. 



Probably a recent derivate form of L. intermedium, which 

 ranges from Stewart Island to south-west Otago. 



