— 267 — 



Number 



of endemic 



species 



Papilionaceae 31 



Compositae 28 



Chenopodiaceae . . 17 



Polygonaceae 14 



Umbelliferae 10 



Liliaceae 9 



Cargophyllaceae .... 8 



Cruciferae 8 



Labiatae 6 



Zggophgllaceae. ... 6 



Gramineae 5 



Orobancheaceae .... 4 



Conuolvulaceae 4 



Borraginaceae 3 7 „ 



Ranunculaceae . . . . 3 13 „ 



Rutaceae 3 50 „ 



Only a few orders contain no endemic species at all, 

 for instance Cyperaceae, Geraniaceae, Plumbaginaceae and none 

 of tliese orders are rich in species in Transcaspia. 



Tlie Papilionaceae take first place as regards endemism, 

 and this is especially due to the numerous species of Astrag- 

 alus the majority of which belong to the sub-genus Cerci- 

 dothrix which has bifurcate hairs. 



It is characteristic that several of the smaller families 

 are comparatively rich in endemic species, thus half of the 

 Rutaceae and two-thirds of the Orobancheaceae are endemic 

 likewise one-third of the Conuolvulaceae, Liliaceae etc. The 

 one species of Araceae and the only Orchid are both endemic. 



Endemism in Transcaspia may according to the preceding 

 be denoted as recent, i. e. it has arisen from the development 

 of species within a period not very remote in the geological 

 sense. There are no forms at all standing quite isolated and 

 showing indications of being relicts, but there are endemic 

 species in almost all the natural orders and in several of the 

 larger genera. 



