Lord Howe Island. 
2 77 
that any plants remain undiscovered that would materially 
modify the deductions concerning the origin and affinities 
of the flora to be drawn from those already known. 
With regard to the tables showing the distribution of the 
genera and species, it should be borne in mind that they 
are only approximations, subject to modification according 
to divergencies of opinion on the limitation of genera and 
species. But a glance at the list is sufficient to convince 
one that the genera, with exceedingly few exceptions, are 
well known and generally accepted ; and a personal know- 
ledge of most of the species inclines me to the belief that 
the number given as evidence is susceptible of reduction 
rather than augmentation. Another source of slight error 
may result from incomplete data. For instance, I think it 
is highly probable that several species not indicated as 
occurring in Norfolk Island really exist there. 
I will now proceed to an analysis of the constituents of the 
flora of the island, to be followed by some remarks on the 
absence of certain groups characteristic of the nearest insular 
and continental areas. First with regard to numbers. There 
are 209 species, belongingto 160 genera, and 70 natural orders, 
grouped as follows : — 
Dicotyledons 
Orders. 
55 
Genera. 
102 
Species. 
12 3 
Monocotyledons 
12 
33 
38 
Vascular Cryptogams 
3 
25 
48 
Totals 
70 
160 
209 
There are four endemic genera, namely, Colmeiroa (Saxi- 
fragaceae), Negria (Gesneraceae), and Hedyscepe and Howea 
(Palmae) ; and there are fifty endemic species, indicated in 
the table by italics. Of these thirty-three are dicotyle- 
dons ; eight monocotyledons, and nine vascular cryptogams. 
These statistics reveal the phenomena characteristic of remote 
insular floras ; that is to say, a relatively large number of 
orders and genera in proportion to the number of species ; 
a preponderance of shrubs and trees over herbaceous plants ; 
