COMPARATIVE VIKW. IG-^
Of the many remarkable genera and orders characterising the vegetation of South Africa, no traces are to be found in the herbarium from Congo. This fact is the more worthy of notice, because even in Abyssinia a few remains, if I may so speak, of these characteristic tribes, have been met with ; as the Profea Ahyssinica} observed by Bruce, and Telargo7iium Ahijssinkum and Geissorrliiza Abz/s^iniccr found by Mr. Salt.
Between the plants collected by Professor Smith in the island of Sf. Jacjo and those of the Congo herbarium, there is very little athnity ; great part of the orders and genera l)eing different, and not more than three species, of which Cassia occidentalis is one, being common to both. To judge from this collection of St. Jago, it would seem that the vegetation of the Cape Verd Islands is of a character intermediate between that of the adjoining continent and of the Canary Islands, of which the Flora has, of course, still less connection with that of Congo.
It might perhaps have been expected that the examina- tion of the vicinity of the Congo would have thrown some light on the origin, if I may so express myself, of the Flora of St, Helena. This, ho^wever, has not proved to be the case ; for neither has a single indigenous species, nor have any of the principal genera, characterising the vegetation of that Island, been found either on the banks of the Congo, or on any other part of this coast of Africa.
There appears to be some affinity between the vegetation of the banks of the Congo and that of Madagascar and the Ides of France and Bourbon. This affinity, however, con- sists more in a certain degree of resemblance in several natural families and extensive or remarkable genera, than in identity of species, of which there seems to be very few in common.
The Flora of Congo mny be compared with those of equinoctial countries still more remote.
With that oi India, it agrees not only in the proportion^ of many of its principal families, or in what may be ternud
5 Gaguedi Bruce' s Travels 5, p. 52.
' S(i//\s Travels hi Abi/ssiititt, tippend. pp. Ixiii. and h'v. {Ant<\ pp. Oii and '.'.>.,)
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