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. Urticaceae 15 species, 2. Lobeliaceae 58 ,, 13. Malvaceae 14 ,, 3. Graminaceae 57 ,, 14. Convolvulaceae 14 ,, 4. Rubiaceae 49 ,, 15. Araliaceae 12 ,, 5. Cyperaceae 47 ,, 16. Solanaceae 12 ,, 6. Labiatae 39 ,, 17. Euphorbiaceae 12 ,, 7. Rutaceae 30 ,, 18. Pittosporaceae 10 ,, 8. Gesneriaceae 24 ,, 19. Amarantaceae 9 ,, 9. Caryophyllaceae 23 ,, 20. Violaceae 8 ,, 10. Leguminosae 21 ,, 21. Goodeniaceae 8 ,, 11. Piperaceae 20 ,,