ths, are quite peculiar to the islands. There are
no less than 38 peculiar genera out of a total of 265 and these 38 genera
comprise 254 species, so that the most isolated forms are those which most
abound and thus give a special character to the flora. Besides these
peculiar types, several genera of wide range are here represented by highly
peculiar species. Such are the Hawaiian species of Lobelia which are woody
shrubs either creeping or six feet high, while a species of one of the
peculiar genera of Lobeliaceae is a tree reaching a height of forty feet.
Shrubby geraniums grow twelve or fifteen feet high, and some vacciniums
grow as epiphytes on the trunks of trees. Violets and plantains also form
tall shrubby plants, and there are many strange arborescent compositae, as
in other oceanic islands.

The affinities of the flora generally are very wide. Although there are
many Polynesian groups, yet Australian, New Zealand, and American forms are
equally represented. Dr. Pickering notes the total absence of a large
number of families found in Southern Polynesia, such as Dilleniceaea,
Anonaceae, Olacaceae, Aurantiaceae, Guttiferae, Malpighiaceae, Meliaceae,
Combretaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Melastomaceae, Passifloraceae, Cunoniaceae,
Jasminaceae, Acanthaceae, Myristicaceae, and Casuaraceae, as well as the
genera Clerodendron, Ficus, and epidendric orchids. Australian affinities
are shown by the genera Exocarpus, Cyathodes, Melicope, Pittosporum, and by
a phyllodinous Acacia. New Zealand is represented by Ascarina, Coprosma,
Acaena, and several Cyperaceae; while America is represented by the genera
Nama, Gunnera, Phyllostegia, Sisyrinchium, and by a red-flowered Rubus and
a yellow-flowered Sanicula allied to Oregon species.

There is no true alpine flora on the higher summits, but several of the
temperate forms extend to a great elevation. Thus Mr. Pickering records
Vaccinium, Ranunculus, Silene, Gnaphalium and Geranium, as occurring above
ten {324} thousand feet elevation; while Viola, Drosera, Acaena, Lobelia,
Edwardsia, Dodonaea, Lycopodium, and many Compositae, range above six
thousand feet. Vaccinium and Silene are very interesting, as they are
almost peculiar to the North Temperate zone; while many plants allied to
Antarctic species are found in the bogs of the high plateaux.

The proportionate abundance of the different families in this interesting
flora is as follows:--

1. Compositae 70 species, 12. Urti