PLANTS OF THE KURIL ISLANDS. 245 



From his interesting chapter " On the Kuril Flora and its Eelations to the Flora 

 of the Neighboring Countries" {op. cit., pp. 207-212), I have culled the following 

 general remarks: After having demonstrated the northern nature of the flora, he 

 shows that it is relatively rich in Bosacese, Bricacese, OaryophyllacefB, Scrophulariaceae, 

 Caprifoliacese, and Borraginaceae, while comparatively poor in Oyperacese ( ?), Labiatae, 

 and Polygonacese. "Every order which is represented in the Kuril Islands is also 

 represented in a greater or less degree throughout the Northern Hemisphere, many 

 passing into the Southern. As to the genera, 156, or about 84 per cent of the total 

 number, are amphigsean — that is, they are found throughout Europe, northern Asia, 

 and North America. Of the remaining 31 genera only 3, SMnunia, Grawfurdia, and 

 Acanthopanax, arerestricted to eastern and tropical Asia, Twelve genera may be called 

 Buropo-Asiatic. * * * The remaining 16 genera are more or less confined to Asia 

 and North America. We have only 4 genera in the Kuril Islands which are peculiar 

 to eastern North America and to eastern Asia. * * * As to the species, 97, or 

 about 30 per cent of the Kuril vegetation, are distributed throughout Europe, northern 

 Asia, and North America. For the northerly situation of the islands, the proportion 

 of the circumpolar species is comparatively small. * * * There are only two 

 endemic species, and these of a rather doubtful character, * * * [but] Prunus 

 Geraseidos, Max., var. Kurilensis, may prove to be a good species. * * * Seventeen 

 species and two varieties are restricted to the insular limits of Japan and Saghalin; 

 of these, two species and one variety are peculiar to Hokkaido." A table prepared 

 by Professor Miyabe (exclusive of the circumpolar forms) "shows at once the great 

 preponderance of the Asiatic species, the greater portion of which are restricted to 

 the eastern and northeastern parts of Asia. Next in importance come the Americo- 

 Asiatic, which divide themselves into two distinct groups, the American and North 

 Pacific. The latter constitutes by far the more prominent part. * * * The 

 Buropo-Asiatic elements are also liberally represented. If the species which extend 

 into northwestern America are included, they form about 24 per cent of the whole. 

 * * * In the Kurils we have no species which are limited to the Atlantic States 

 in North America." 



As might be expected, "the vegetation of the southern Kurils is very much like 

 that of Japan (northern), while that of the northern approaches remarkably that 

 of the Bering Sea region (northeastern Asiatic and northern Pacific)." From the 

 character of the few plants which grow in Kamchatka and in Japan, without being 

 of wide distribution in the northern hemisphere, but which have not yet been found 

 in Sakhalin, Professor Miyabe concludes that they do not necessarily prove any 

 immigration into Japan from the north via the Kuril chain, especially in view of the 

 recent formation of the northern Kurils as shown by Professor Milne. "The scanty 

 vegetation which we find in these northern islands is mostly composed of plants 

 growing in Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands. The greater part of them are not 

 yet known to come down to the southern Kurils. A few plants, which are decidedly 

 characteristic of northern Japan and the southern Kurils, have also been found in 

 some of the smaller islands north of Urup. Petasites japonica, for instance, is said 

 to extend as far north as the island of Matua, and Bambusa Tcurilensis and Taxus 

 euspidata to Ketoy. Thus it seems that the Kurils are now in the stage of receiving 

 their vegetation from both Kamchatka and the southern Kurils. * * * From 

 these observations I agree with Professor Milne in the opinion that at the time of the 



