| 20 | Mr. Brown, on the Proteaceae of Jussieu. |
Dr. Smith, in the 4th vol. of the Society's Transactions, and others are in the present paper submitted to the consideration of botanists.
The general description and definition of the order will be most advantageously placed at the head of its systematic arrangement; before entering upon which, I shall offer some remarks on its geographical distribution, and likewise on such modifications of structure in the different organs as appear to be of the greatest importance in indicating or characterizing genera.
The geography of plants being as yet in its infancy, the smallest addition to our knowledge of a subject which promises to become of considerable importance, will probably be received with indulgence; and in this persuasion I venture to make the following observations on the order before us. In the first place, it is remarkable that the Proteaceæ are almost entirely confined to the southern hemisphere. This observation originated with Mr. Dryander, and the few exceptions hitherto known to it, occur considerably within the tropic. The fact is the more deserving of notice, as their diffusion is very extensive in the southern hemisphere, not merely in latitude and longitude, but also in elevation; for they are not only found to exist in all the great southern continents, but seem to be generally, though very unequally, spread over their different regions: they have been observed also in the larger islands of New Zealand and New Caledonia; but hitherto neither in any of the lesser ones, nor in Madagascar. As in America, they have been found in Terra del Fuego, in Chili, Peru, and even Guiana, it is reasonable to conclude that the intermediate regions are not entirely destitute of them. But with respect to this continent, it may be observed, that the number of species seems to be comparatively small, their organization but little varied; and further, that they have a
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