44 RECORDS OF OBSERVATIONS ON SIR WILLIAM MACGREGOR 'S 
to the Papuan highlands also, viz.: Drimys piperita, Drapetes ericoides, Rhododendron 
Lowii, Phyllocladus hypophyllus, three being of far southern type. Even a few of 
such British plants, not almost universally cosmopolitan, have now come like 
messengers from home before us from New Guinea as there also indigenous, thus : 
Taraxacum officinale and Seirpus caespitosus, these being wanting even in the 
Malayan islands and in continental Australia, irrespective of the widely distributed 
Aira caespitosa, Festuca ovina, Lycopodium clavatum, LL. Selago and perhaps 
L. alpinum as well as Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense and Aspidium aculeatum. For 
the familiar northern genus Potentilla a truly indigenous position in the southern 
hemisphere has been gained now for phyto-geography, as well as for Myriactis 
and Trigonotis, while Astelia, Uncinia and Dawsonia are now seen to enter 
equinoctial regions in the eastern hemisphere. The Styphelia montana, the 
Astelia and the Carpha mentioned indicate the commencement of a truly 
alpine flora. 
On the Finisterre-range, the ascent of which was accomplished by Mr. Zoeller 
and his party during 1888 (this enterprise being inspired by myself in a lengthened 
interview with the leader) tree-vegetation exists to the summit, therefore up to 11,000 
feet, as indeed aiready telescopically ascertained by M. Mikluho Maclay. I can 
however furnish no data, which might assist our present purpose, on the nature of the 
vegetation there, as—against my expectation—no botanic specimens whatever, 
resulting from that courageous exploit, came to me as one, who since many years has 
been engaged occasionally on connected elucidations of the Papuan flora. Sir 
William Macgregor found the arboreous vegetation to cease on the Owen Stanley’s 
ranges at 11,500 feet (despatch, July 1889, p. 10), and this cessation was not due to 
a change of geologic formation. The limits of tree-vegetation may however on some 
other Papuan culminations under altered physical conditions be somewhat higher so 
near to the equator, in comparison to zones of vegetation in the Himalayas at and 
near the verge of the tropics. 
As regards prospective utilitarian gain from the world of plants, likely to emanate 
from this expedition, we may look forward to the acquisition of the ‘‘ Cypress ” 
(Libocedrus Papuana), which constitutes the principal forests on the summit of 
Mount Douglas and Winter’s Height, for arboreta even of countries of the cool 
temperate zone, and with this cypress-like tree could doubtless be associated in parks 
far outside of the tropics also the tall ‘“‘Bamboo” (See Sir William MacGregor’s 
despatch, p. 8), with which the dry region above the nebular zone begins at (about 
8500 feet). The several hardy and gaudy Rhododendrons could aptly be consociated 
by dissemination with the many Sikkin-species, now so frequent as garden-favourites. 
The dwarf Raspberry would give us an additional table-fruit. How far the Korthalsia- 
Palm would bear actual frigour, remains to be ascertained. The species of Papuan 
highland-grasses are rather gregarious than numerous. 
