The Distribution of the Plants of the Outlying Islands 
of New Zealand. 
BY 
J. C. WILLIS, M.A., Sc.D. 
With one Diagram in the Text. 
I N a paper 1 upon the distribution of plants in New Zealand, I mentioned 
that the distribution of the plants in the outlying islands bore out in 
a very complete manner the hypothesis of age and area which was 
originally based upon the estimates 
given in Trimen’s Ceylon Flora, 
and which was confirmed to the 
point of reasonable certainty by 
the distribution of the New Zealand 
flora, where estimates were replaced 
by actual measurements of longi- 
tudinal range in the islands. 
On the submarine plateau 
which soundings (given roughly in 
the accompanying diagram) show 
to exist around New Zealand, there 
are quite a number of islands or 
groups of islands, viz. to the north 
the Kermadecs (420 miles away), to 
the east the Chathams (375 m.), to 
the south the Snares (60 m.), 
Aucklands (190 m.), and Campbells (330 m.), to the south-east the 
Antipodes (490 m.), and to the south-west Macquarie (570 m.). It is fairly 
certain that at one time or another — it need not have been the same for all 
— all these were connected directly with New Zealand. East of them the 
Pacific Ocean descends to enormous depths, only exceeded at one spot upon 
the globe. It is therefore practically certain that the flora common to these 
islands and Australia must usually have passed through or near to, or have 
been evolved in or near to, New Zealand. 
1 Annals of Botany, vol. xxx, 1916, p. 437. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XXXI. No. CXXIII and CXXIV. July and October, 1917.] 
New Zealand and outlying islands. The dotted 
line is the 1,000 fathom limit. 
