5 79 
Dispersal of Herbaceous Anglo sperms. 
Of the nine endemic genera of Dicotyledons, perhaps the most interesting 
is Dendrosicyos , the only arborescent member of the Cucurbitaceae. It is 
evident that in Socotra, as in all other islands which received a part of their 
flora from the mainland long ago, the ancient element is almost entirely 
woody, whereas the more recent part of the vegetation is predominantly 
herbaceous. 
M. Mauritius and the Seychelles. 
The islands of Mauritius and the Seychelles, with the islets of Rodriguez 
and Bourbon, are probably not strictly oceanic islands, but were doubtless 
long ago isolated from any large body of land. Of the 1,058 species of 
vascular plants in Baker’s ‘ Flora ’, 536 are endemic to the Mascarene 
islands (Madagascar and the smaller neighbouring islands), and 304 are 
endemic to single islands. An analysis of the dicotyledonous flora follows : 
Indigenous species 
Non-endemic species 
Endemic species of non-endemic genera . . 
Species of endemic genera 
Species. 
Herbs. 
. % Herbs . 
5 8 7 
194 
33 
2 54 
149 
59 
2 70 
4 2 
16 
63 
3 
5 
In this case, as in that of other ancient insular floras, the primitive 
element is almost entirely woody, but that of more recent origin mainly 
herbaceous. 
N. Ceylon . 
Ceylon is not an oceanic island as are most of those which we have 
discussed, but it nevertheless possesses a considerable endemic element in 
its vegetation, and illustrates the same principle which we have brought out 
in the case of other ancient insular floras. An analysis of it follows : 
Total Species. 
Herbs. 
% Herbs. 
Indigenous species 
*>793 
670 
37 
Non-endemic species 
1,182 
5 28 
45 
Endemic species of non-endemic genera . . 
569 
140 
24 
Species of endemic genera 
42 
2 
4-7 
O. Discussion of Isolated Insular Floras. 
It is thus very clear that woody plants constitute a more conspicuous 
element in the flora of isolated oceanic islands than in the flora of the 
adjacent continental areas from which their vegetation has presumably been 
derived, and also that the most ancient portion of the island floras, if 
endemism is to be regarded as a criterion of antiquity, is much more woody 
than the recently acquired elements. Annual herbs, which seem to be the 
last step in reduction, are almost entirely absent from insular floras, as has 
been noted by Darwin, Hooker, and others. Since the vegetation of these 
isolated oceanic islands is to be regarded as more ancient in its composition 
than that of larger land areas, it may be looked upon as a vestige of an 
