INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 103 



the development of species, are replacing research ; and when 

 the data usually employed for deducing the laws of the dis- 

 tribution of plants consist of a compilation of raw materials 

 from the works of travellers and local observers more or less 

 skilled in botany, it becomes incumbent upon us, who hold 

 that progress in this branch of botany depends on an exact 

 knowledge of species, genera, families, and their aflSmities, to 

 refrain from crade speculations as to the origin of the Indian 

 Flora. 



The following geographical alliances or afiinities (if we may 

 use the terms) of the Indian Flora, with more or less remote 

 countries, we consider well established; they are capable of 

 much illustration, even in the priesent state of our knowledge, 

 but it is obviously impossible to dilate upon them here. 



1. The Australian type. — The Flora of Australia is well 

 known to contain far more endemic species and families than 

 any other country does, and of these a few representatives 

 extend into India. Besides Pittosporum and Scavola, which, 

 though more characteristic of the Australian than of other 

 Floras, are found aU over India and Africa; there are two 

 species of Stylidium, which are the only extra- Australian ones 

 known : one of these extends up the Malay peninsula to Sil- 

 het, and is also said to be found at Midnapore on the west 

 side of the Gangetic delta ; and the other is confined to the 

 Malay peninsula. Several species of Australian genera of 

 Myrtacece {Leptospermum, Bceckia, and Metrosideros) inha- 

 bit the same peninsula, besides the very remarkable genus 

 Tristania, which advances to Moulmein in 17° N. lat. Casu- 

 arina, which is cultivated throughout India, is wild on the 

 east coast of the Bay of Bengal as far north as Ramri ; and of 

 Helicia (a Proteaceous genus) several species abound in the 

 Malay peninsula, and one extends to Silhet, and along the 

 base of the Himalaya to Central Nipal. Lagerwphora, a small 

 Australian genus of Compositce (also found in New Zealand 

 and Fuegia), has a representative in the Khasia and Ceylon. 

 We thus see that Australian types are almost confined to a 



