INTEODUCTION. 
The great Papuan Island, one of the largest of the globe, and 
rivalling in extent with Britain, is as yet but very scantily known 
to us merely along its coast-borders; and even of these litoral 
tracts we know as yet but very imperfectly the nature of the 
vegetation, while the plants of the higher regions — amply of 
alpine elevation — remained hitherto utterly unknown to us. A 
large island-country, probably rich also in endemic products of 
2^1ants, situated on lines of Australian, Indian, Chinese and 
Polynesian maritime intercourses and stretching moreover into 
close proximity of the Australian Continent, must be to us here 
of special importance for commerce and colonisation. Hence any 
new; contribution, however scanty, towards the knowledge of the 
nature and resources of New Guinea cannot but prove opportune, 
particularly at a time when the settlement along the opposite 
Australian coast is effected, and when by exploration-enterprises 
it is endeavoured to withdraw the veil, which so long concealed 
from us much of the features of this grand and wondrous island. 
With this view it is intended to devote on this occasion a few 
pages to the elucidation of some Papuan plants, brought from two 
previously thus far unexamined localities by Mr. McLeay’s enter- 
prising recent expedition, and gathered there by J. Reedy, a 
horticultural emissary of Sir Will. Macarthur. The latter, who 
in the autumn of a long laborious life, spent for the ^^astoral, 
agricultural and industrial interest of Australia, still preserves 
A 2 
