Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/603

Comparison with other countries.] same or of very nearly related genera, peculiar to the southern hemisphere, which are common to Terra Australis and South America, and which do not exist at the Cape of Good Hope. Thus the Pavonia or Laurelia of Chili has its nearly related genus Atherosperma in Van Diemen's Island; where also a genus that I shall name Tasmania occupies the place of the Wintera of South America, from which it differs chiefly in having a single ovarium; a species of the Araucaria of Chili exists in New Holland as well as in Norfolk Island and New Caledonia; several Lomatiæ are found in South America; a species of Astelia grows in Terra del Fuego; and Goodenia littoralis of the southern shores of Terra Australis is found not only in New Zealand but on the opposite coast of America.

Certain tribes of plants common to South Africa and Terra Australis, and almost equally abundant in both these countries, are either very sparingly produced or cease to exist in South America. Others which abound in South Africa and are comparatively rare in Terra Australis are in South America entirely wanting; and I am acquainted with no tribe of plants common to South Africa and South America and at the same time wanting in Terra Australis, unless the Compositæ with bilabiate corolla.

The character of the New Zealand Flora, known to us chiefly from the materials collected by Sir Joseph Banks, is to a considerable degree peculiar; it has still however a certain affinity to those of the two great countries between which it is situated, and approaching rather to that of Terra Australis, than of South America.

In comparing together the Floras of Terra Australis and Europe, I shall chiefly confine myself to an enumeration of the species common to both countries; the subject at present hardly admitting of many remarks of a more general nature. It may, however, be observed, that none of the great natural orders of Europe are absolutely wanting in Terra Australis; that some of them, as Compositæ, Leguminosæ, Gramineæ and Cyperaceæ are found even in nearly the same proportion; while others, as Cruciferæ, Ranunculaceæ, Caryophylleæ, Rosaceæ, and Ericeæ are reduced to very few species: and that several of the less extensive European orders, namely Saxifrageæ, Cistinæ, Berberides, Resedeaceæ, Fumariaceæ, Grossularinæ, Valerianeæ, Dipsaceæ, Polemonideæ, Globulariæ, Elæagneæ, and Equisetaceæ in Terra Australis do not at all exist.