692 meyen's phyto-gbographical zones. 



an important feature in the flora, from their number, their beauty, 

 and ubiquity, and from many forming large bushes. The flora of the 

 Auckland group and Campbell's Island may be considered as a con- 

 tinuation of that of New Zealand, difiering only in being more typi- 

 cal of the antarctic regions. In the Auckland group the country is 

 generally covered by Pteris esculenta, Leptospermum scoparium 

 (Manuke or Tea-tree), Phormium tenax, and Cordyline stricta. We 

 also meet with Vitex littoralis, Knightia excelsa (Rewa-Eewa), species 

 of Metrosideros (M. robusta, or Rata), the Kauri Pine, Oyathea deal- 

 bata, Areca sapida, and numerous Ferns. Some European plants, as 

 Cardamine hirsuta, Montia fontana and Callitriche, are found. The 

 woods consist of 4 or 5 species of trees or large shrubs, which are 

 enumerated by Hooker in the order of their abundance. 1. Metrosi- 

 deros lucida. 2. Dracophyllum longifolium. 3. Panax simplex. 4. 

 Veronica elliptioa. 5. Ooprosma foetidissima. Under the shade of 

 these, near the sea-beach, about 15 different Ferns grow abundantly, 

 the most remarkable of which is Aspidium venustum. Mean tempera- 

 ture between latitude 34° and 36° south, from 61° to 63°. Many of 

 the European plants are cultivated.* 



Meyen divides the latitudinal range of vegetation into zones, taking 

 for his basis the three ordinary divisions of the torrid, the temperate, 

 and the frigid zone, and subdividing each hemisphere into eight 

 smaller zones. 



Meyen's Phyto-Oeographical Zones. 

 A. — TORRID ZONE. 



1. Equatorial Zone. — This extends 15° on both sides of the 

 equator, and has a mean annual temperature of 78J° to 82|° F. The 

 forms characteristic of this zone are chiefly Palmse, Musacese, arbores- 

 cent Graminese, Pandanus, Scitaminese, Orchids, and Lianas (gigantic 

 twining plants, such as Aristolochias) ; besides plants belonging to the 

 orders Malvaceae, Anonacese, Anacardiacese, Artocarpese a section of 

 Urticacese, Lecythidacese, Malpighiaceje, Sapindaceae, Caesalpiniese a 

 section of Leguminosas, Oedrelaceae, and many others. 



2. The Tropical Zone. — This reaches from the 15th degree on each 

 side of the equator to the tropics, in 23° latitude. Mean temperature 

 73|- to 78f°. Summer temperature, 80|-° to 86°; winter tempera- 

 ture in the eastern coast countries, 59°. Besides many equatorial 

 forms, as Palms, Musacese, Scitaminess, Meliaceae, Anonaceas, Sapin- 

 daceae, Orchidacese, Aracese, and Lianas, there are in this zone Tree- 

 ferns, and plants belonging to Convolvulaceae, Melastomaceae, and 

 PiperaceEP, 



* Coloured delineations of Schouw's Phy to-Geographic Regions are given in W. and A. K. 

 Johnston's Physical Atlas. 



