202 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE ' FLORA VECTENSIS.'
Hainan. , It is somewliat remarkable that, with such a geographical posi- tion, the flora of this reef-girt islet should show an unmistakable affinity with that of the great Australian continent, from which it is distant about one thousand nine hundred miles, the large islands of Borneo, Celebes, Papua, the Philippines and the Moluccas being interposed. The follow- ing are — so far as my memory serves me — all the plants liitherto met with on Prata Island : —
Senebiera vdeyrifoha, De Cand. ; Porlnlaca austrulis, Eiidl. ; Triiim- fetta procumbens, Forst. ; Sesuvium Forti'lacaatrnm, L. var. ?* Scavola Kwnitjii, Vahl ; Tournefortia argeutm, L. f. ; Ipomcea congesta, 11. Br. ; Ipomcea Pes-caprfe, Roth ; Euphorbia Atuto, Porst.
These species are found without a single exception in Queensland, and many of them also in North Australia ; and, though some are more or less difi"used as littoral plants through the Pacific isles, the Malayan Archi- pelago, and the South Asiatic coasts, they all seem primarily of Austra- lian origin. The occuiTence of Calogyne chineusls, Benth., Thymnotm chinemis, Benth. j-f and Phihjdrum lanwjhwHnm, Banks, in S.E. China, aflfords curious evidence of a connection bet',veen the Southern Asiatic and Korth-eastern Australian floras.
��A SUPPLEMENT TO THE 'FLORA YECTENSIS.'
By Alexander G. More, F.L.S., M.R.I. A.
{Concluded from page 172.)
- AnacJiaris Ahinastrmn, Bab.; Elodea canadensis, Rich. Ponds at
Barton Farm, 1860 (J. Pristo). Pond by the roadside near Lynn Farm, 1863. Millstream at Shide, near Newport (F. Stratton). Planted by Dr. Bell Salter in a pond near the Spencer Road, Ryde, previous to 1850.
Orchis ustulata, L. On Ashey Down, near the farm, 18.53 (T. Baines). Near the reservoir on Ashey Down, 1863. Carisbrooke Castle (R. Tucker).
0. incaruata, L. Rookley Wilderness, and in the Landslip near Bon- church. Apparently more frequent than 0. lulifolia, L., but I cannot distinguish these plants with certainty.
Qymnadenia conopsea, R. Br. Bnnks near Steephill Farm, very rare in the Underclifl' (A. .J. Hambrough).
Habenaria bifolia, R. Br. Near Shanklin 1 (Rev. T. Sahvey). Very rare in the Isle of Wight, while H. chloranlha is frequent.
Ofjhryn mnHcifcra, Huds. Copse aijove Brading.
Neoitia NiduH-avis, Rich. A single plant at Steephill. Barton Wood, Osborne (J. Pristo).
Epipacli's media, Fries. West end of Cowpit Cliff ^\ ood, near Shank- lin ! (Rev. T. Sahvey). In the Landslip sparingly. The typical E. lati- folia is, I believe, the more frequent plant, but 1 confess that I cannot satisfactorily separate the two.
- This is my Psammanthe marina (AValp. Ann. Bot. Syst. ii. 660), which, though
certainly referable to Sesuvium, is perhaps distinct as a species, the styles being apparently always united as far as the middle.
t I have already pointed out Ann. Sc. Xat. oe ser. v. 245) that 3Ir. Bentham was mistaken in suppo.sing the petals of tins species to be destitute of fringe. It agrees in every character with its Australian congeners.
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