690 SCHOUW'S PHYTO-GEOGEAPHIC REGIONS. 



flora of Australia : — " The flora of Australia approaches in its tropical 

 portion to the plants of India, and in its extra-tropical portion to 

 those of South Africa. The flora may be divided into a western, 

 southern, eastern, and Tasmanian flora. In the western districts 

 Leguminosse and Proteacese predominate, forming one-fourth of the 

 entire vegetation. Ferns and Grasses are rare. In the southern 

 flora, Compositae and Leguminosse abound along with Salsolas, Myo- 

 poracese, Halorageacese, OaryophyUaceae, and Cruciferse. The genus 

 Mesembryanthemum is here seen as a connecting link with the South 

 African flora; Nitraria with the Siberian flora; Crantzia with the 

 North American flora. In the eastern flora, Proteacese and Epacri- 

 dacese are found, with fewer Compositae than in the south, and a 

 larger number of Perns and Grasses than in the western district. 

 On Brisbane mountains, near Moreton Bay, we meet with Araucaria 

 (Eutassa) Bidwillii, the Bunya-Bunya, and in the same district 

 Araucaria (Eutassa) Cunninghami, the Moreton Bay Pine. The 

 Tasmanian flora is an insular one. Perns abound, Goodeniacese are 

 scarce, Loranthacese and Csesalpinieae are wanting. Plants are 

 found belonging to the natural orders Stackhousiacese, Tremandracese, 

 Proteacese, Stylidiacese, Myrtacese, Eestiacese, Diosmeae, Casuarin- 

 acese, and Mimosese. In south Australia, Compositae form l-8th of 

 the whole vegetation ; Compositse and Leguminosae form together 

 one-third of the whole of the Dicotyledons. Nearly 100 of the 

 plants now growing wild have been introduced from Europe and the 

 Cape. The introduction of European culture is changing the aspect 

 of Australia as well as its climate. Kain now falls where none did 

 before. The flora of South Australia has been divided into two 

 marked forms, that of the Grass-land and that of the Scrub. Grass- 

 land resembles European pastm-es. Along with it there are associated 

 light park-like forests of Eucalypti, with their smooth stems robbed 

 of their outer bark, standing at regular intervals, and their crowns 

 never in contact with each other. In poorer soil Casuarinas grow, 

 also gummiferous Acacias, as A. retinoides and pycnantha, and species 

 of Biursaria, and "Grevillea, along with occasional Melaleucas or Lep- 

 tospermums, especially in the beds of rivers dried up in summer. 

 The Scrub shows no turf; a few scattered Stipas and Neurachnes 

 constitute the only grasses. There is profusion of bushes and small 

 trees. The plants have a heath-like foliage or vertically-placed leaves, 

 and their colour is of a dead blue-green in general. The Palm forms 

 which occur in Australia are species of Livistona, Seaforthia, and 

 Corypha. In the British colonies of Australia the European grains 

 and fruits are cultivated. In Norfolk Island, which may be connected 

 with the Australian flora, Araucaria (Eutassa) excelsa, the Norfolk 

 Island Pine, grows to a great size. Van Diemen's Land contains 10 

 Coniferse endemic to the island, according to Hooker. These are Cal- 



