TKOPICAL FLORAS 47 



a distinct flora, nearly 800 of its species and 23 of its genera 

 being '^ endemic/' that is, wholly peculiar to it. It has much 

 stronger affinities with the ]\ialayan flora, due in part, no 

 doubt, to its moister and more uniform insular climate, but 

 also to some features of its past history. 



The figures given in the table of the chief tropical floras 

 of the world (p. 45) indicate, so far as possible, the actual 

 numbers of the species now existing in collections, and, for 

 purposes of comparison, require certain allowances to be 

 made. 



Burma and Tndo-China are much less known than Penin- 

 sular India, vet in a smaller area each has a considerably laro;er 

 number of species ; while the Malay Peninsula, which is more 

 completely forest-clad, is in proportion to its area still richer, 

 due mainly to its more equable equatorial climate. The fol- 

 lowinc: table of the chief natural orders is taken from Mr. 

 Ilemsley's Introduction to the Flora of Mexico and Central 

 America : — 



British Ixdia (17,000 species) 



1. Orchidere 1060 



2. I^giiiiiinosiE 831 



3. Glramineoe 800 



4. Robiacese 611 



5. Euphoibiacese 624 



6. Acanthaceae 503 



7. Compositae 598 



8. Cypeiaceaj 385 



0. Labiatae 331 



10. Urticaceae 305 



11. Asclepiadeae 249 



12. Rosaceae 218 



The sequence of the orders is taken from Sir J. Hooker's 

 Sketch of the Flora of British India, a most interesting and 

 instructive pamphlet published in 1906, but the numbers of 

 species are inserted from Mr. Hemsley's work dated 1888. 

 Since then the total numbers have increased from 13,647 to 

 17,000, about one-fourth, so that the above figures will have 

 to be increased in that proportion ; but they will have increased 

 unequally, as shown by the fact that the orchids are estimated 

 by Sir. T. Hooker at 1600. 



There is apparently no other extensive region as varied 

 in soil and climate as British India, in which Orchids occu]\v 

 the first place in the sequence of the orders. This is due to 



