Genera, etc., in Australia.'] 



INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 



Commencing with the New Hebrides and New Caledonia, I find, that out of a list of scarcely 100 

 species known to me, there are no less than 12 markedly Australian generic types, viz. Disemma, 

 Eriostemon, Kennedya, phyllodineous Acacia, Leptospermum, Bceckia, Metrosideros, Didiscus, Co- 

 prosma, Cassinia, Leucopogon, Dracophyllum, Lomatia, Slenocarpus, Grevillea, Exocarpus, Casuarina, 

 Araucaria, Microtis, Lyperanthus, Geilonoplesium, Stypandra, Lamprocarya. 



Norfolk Island, which lies intermediate between, the New Hebrides and New Zealand, presents 

 a Flora of intermediate character. Besides containing many New Zealand plants not hitherto found 

 in the New Hebrides, it contains the following Australian types not found in New Zealand : — Jasminum 

 gracile, Exmcaria Agallocha, Myrsine crassifolia, Pimelea linifolia, Achyranthes canescens, Arau- 

 caria, Geitonoplesium cymosum. 



New Zealand presents a long list of Australian genera, including many that are very charac- 

 teristic of that continent, but wholly wants some of the most extensive and widely distributed [both 

 in area and elevation) of these, as Eucalyptus, Acacia, Stylidium, Casuarina, Callitris, Xyris, Xerotes, 

 Thysanotus, Hibbertia, Pleurandra, Banksia, Dryandra, Grevillea, Hakea. 



At p. xxxvii. I have enumerated the 23 largest Australian genera, all containing from 50 to 

 upwards of 200 species; of these no less than 15 have no New Zealand representative, and all but 

 2 have very few indeed. In other words, of the 23 Australian genera which number upwards of 50 

 species each, and which together include about 2,000 species, only 8 are found in New Zealand, and of 

 these, Drosera, Dodontea, Helichrysum, and Leucopogon, are all widely distributed elsewhere ; of the 

 7 Australian genera, with upwards of 100 species each, only Leucopogon is a New Zealand one. 



It is even more remarkable that most of "the highly characteristic Australian Orders are wholly 

 or nearly absent in New Zealand : thus, instead of 100 genera and 1,000 species of LeguminoscE there 

 are but 4 genera, all but one different (Clianthus), and 8 species, all different. Of Myrtacece, with 

 60 Australian genera and 600 species, there are but 4 genera and 15 species in New Zealand. The 

 5 Australian genera (including 100 species) of Dilleniacece have no representative, nor has the Order; 

 and of Stylidiece, in lieu of 5 genera and 115 species, there is but one genus, and that antarctic. Of 

 Goodeniacece, which in Australia has 20 genera and 230 species, there is but one species in New 



Zealand, and that a salt-marsh plant also common to Chili and Tasmania, 

 sentatives whatever of — 



Capparidese. 

 Polygaleae. 



and very few of — 



Stackhousieae. 

 Myoporinese. 



Frankeniaceae. 

 Tremandrefe. 



Santalaceas. 

 Irideae. 



Buettneriacea?. 

 C'asuarmeae. 



Verbenaceaj. 

 Khamneae. 



, there are no repre- 



Xyrideae. 

 Hsemodoracese. 



Logar 



To put this is in another point of view, I will give a comparative table of the relative magni- 

 tude of the 9 largest Natural Orders in each country, which Orders include upwards of half the 

 species in each, and from which it will be seen that only 5 of the New Zealand Orders appear in the 

 other lists. 



New Zealand. 



1. Composite. 



2. Cyperaceae. 



3. Grainineae. 



4. Scrophularineae. 



Australia. 

 Leguminosa?. 

 Myrtaceae. 

 Proteacea?. 

 Composite. 



Tasmania. 

 Ccmiposita?. 

 Orchidea?. 

 Epacridea?- 

 Le»uramos;f. 



