20 



some rather suggestive facts present themselves. It would seem 

 that the theory demands most of our endemics to occupy that 

 part of our area, which, as supporting the oldest vegetation we 

 have, the pine-barrens of New Jersey, has the greatest title to 

 antiquity of any region near New York. Of the 22 endemics 

 only 7 are found in the pine-barrens, Sporobulus Torreyanus, 

 Juncus caesariensis , Eupatorium resinosum, Dendrium buxifolium, 

 Uvularia nitida, Calamovilfa brevipilus, and Amphicarpon Amphi- 

 carpon. The balance of the endemics are found as follows: 

 6 on the coastal plain (not of course, in the pine-barrens), 

 which is recent, 7 in the glaciated area to the northward, probably 

 still more recent, and most offending of all, 2 are confined to salt 

 marshes which are almost new enough for their origin to have 

 been seen. 



Coming now to the question of the antiquity and woodiness 

 of the endemic species of the endemic genera, which should best 

 illustrate the theory under consideration, it should be stated 

 that endemic genera are here understood to mean those found 

 only in America. The species of the endemic genera are : 



Amphicarpon Amphicarpon Dendrium buxifolium 



Calamovilfa brevipilus Ludwigiantha brevipes 



Uvularia nitida Euthamia floribunda 



Helianthus Dalyi 



We should expect the woody element to predominate in this 

 group whereas only Dendrium is woody, less than 15 per cent. 

 Of the seven species, four, Amphicarpon Amphicarpon, Calamo- 

 vilfa brevipilus, Uvularia nitida and Dendrium buxifolium are 

 found in the ancient pine-barren region, the rest are scattered 

 along the very recent coastal plain. This is scarcely over- 

 whelming evidence for antiquity or woodiness among the species 

 of the endemic genera. 



Indeed the case for either woodiness or antiquity among either 

 the whole group of endemics, or among the endemic species of 

 endemic genera, seems decidedly not proven, so far as our local 

 vegetation is concerned. The ratios in these cases are too near 

 those of the total vegetation not to be open to great suspicion. 



1 



A 



