Dec., 1923] CAMPBELL — AUSTRALASIAN BOTANICAL NOTES 
533 
genera, like Metrosideros and Freycinetia, are found practically throughout 
the whole of New Zealand. 
It is probable that the gymnosperms, Agathis, Podocarpus, Dacrydium, 
are of northern origin, as they are all widespread throughout the Malayan 
region. Metrosideros, Eugenia, Beilschmiedia, Sideroxylon, are examples 
of trees of Malayan affinities, and the same is true of a number of the char¬ 
acteristic trees and shrubs. The Nikau palm, Cordyline, and Freycinetia, 
the latter belonging to the almost exclusively tropical family Pandanaceae, 
are certainly derived also from the north. The prevalence of these and 
other similar tropical genera explains the markedly tropical aspect of the 
New Zealand rain-forest, even in the colder parts of the South Island. 
The fern vegetation also has much in common with the Indo-Malayan 
and Polynesian regions. 
The Australian Element 
The relations of the New Zealand and Australian floras are somewhat 
complicated. A good many common genera, like Freycinetia, Agathis, 
Podocarpus, Dendrobium, and most of the ferns, are widespread, and do 
not necessarily imply direct connection between the two countries; but 
on the other hand the occurrence of genera, or even species, confined to 
Australia and New Zealand makes it certain that they must have migrated 
from one country to the other; but in some cases it seems quite as likely 
that New Zealand, and not Australia, was the place of origin. 
35 genera (or sub-genera) are confined to New Zealand and Australia. 8 
Some of these are much better developed in Australia than in New Zealand, 
and are presumably of Australian origin. Such are the orchids Caladenia 
and Thelymitra; Epacris, Swainsonia, and Persoonia. Some of the 
common genera have a single species common to the two countries, e.g., the 
grass Echinopogon ovatus and the liliaceous Herpolirion Novae Zealandeae. 
Other genera have two species, one each in Australia and New Zealand, e.g., 
Ackama, a small tree related to Weinmannia. An interesting case is that 
of Clianthus. The gorgeous “Sturt pea” (C. Dampieri) of the deserts of 
South and West Australia, has its counterpart in rainy Westland in the 
beautiful C. puniceus. The latter case is certainly a very puzzling one. 
A New Zealand origin seems probable for the following: Gunnera 
(sub-genus Milligania), 10 New Zealand, 1 Australia; Celmisia, 55 New 
Zealand, 1 Australia; Aciphylla, 25 New Zealand, 1 Australia. Several 
other genera are in the same category. 
It is significant that many distinctively Australian types are quite absent 
from New Zealand, and others are very poorly represented. The two lead¬ 
ing Australian genera, Acacia and Eucalyptus, are unknown to New Zealand, 
and the Proteaceae, with nearly 700 Australian species, have but two in 
New Zealand. The Myrtaceae of New Zealand comprise barely twenty 
8 Cockayne, L. New Zealand plants, p. 206. 
