VEGETATION OF HIGH MOUNTANS. 2K 



contrary, have been scattered over different countries in the di- 

 rection of their meridians. Towards the south, America, Africa, 

 and Asia ; towards the north, Europe, Asia, and America, are 

 far from producing the same vegetables under the <-ame paral- 

 lels ; while many plants, growing wild in each of these grand 

 divisions of the globe, brave every obstacle opposed to them by 

 a diversity of climate, and propagate themselves in a geogra- 

 phical direction quite contrary to that which a similar climate 

 would confine them to. 



Thus, for example, many of the curious plants of Sardinia, Progress of 

 Sicily, and Italy, mount up the Swiss Alps, and then descend p"^™ 8 

 again into the lower parts of Germany, without being allured 

 by our fine climate to France. Thus, likewise, the Pyrenees 

 receive from Spain a great number of the plants of Barlary, 

 scattering them over the western provinces of France. The 

 merendera, which grows in the north of Africa, is found in 

 Andalusia, Castile, Arragon j when crossing the Pyrenees it de- 

 scends as far as the Landes de Bourdeaux. The narcissus hul- 

 locodium*, and hyacinthus serotinus, grow wild in the same 

 places, and follow the same route. The anthericum licolorum 

 of Algiers, traverses the same chain of mountains, and arrives 

 in Anjou. The scilla umhellata and crocus nudijlorus, have 

 migrated from the Pyrenees even into Eng'and. Yet not one 

 .of the above mentioned vegetables have been disseminated late- 

 rally, to meet those southern ones which have crossed the Swiss 

 Alps. 



But it is in the great valleys of the Pyrenees, extending from This most 



north to south, that these vegetable galaxies become most 8tr ' lcin g in * ne 



valleys of ths 

 striking and singular. The dianthus super bus runs through the pvrenees. 



whole valley of Campan and Gavarnie,w'ithom ever entering any 



* Here the celebrated author confounds three very distinct species. *p.i snecV* 



The plant of the Pyrenees is the A T . Bulbocodium L. with erect leaves, confounded b^ 

 very hardy, and brought forced to Covcnt-gurden in abundance every the author, 

 spring. The plant of Bavbavy and Andalusia, which I received from 

 the late professor Broussonet, is more dwarfish, with leaves spreading 

 flat on the ground, and so tender, that it will only live here through 

 winter, in very warm sandy soils, close to a wall. The plant of 

 Castile grows also near Oporto, and differs from both the others, in 

 having a six-lobed plaited crown, with very narrow leaves ; it is not 

 very tender, but requires a dry sandy soil. Sec. 



