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178 The Influence of the Soil 



ological map in his hand, observed no botanical differences 

 connected with the strata. M. DeCandolle, in his numerous 

 agricultural journeys through France, has established as a 

 fact, that plants grow indifferently upon all strata ; he was 

 struck, however, in Limousin, by perceiving that the chesnut 

 appeared only upon the bands of sandstone which cross that 

 province ; and this observation has been repeated in many lo- 

 calities. 



Zahlbruckner, who, in describing a part of Austria, placed 

 in opposition to each other the vegetation of the calcareous 

 and the primitive strata, points out important differences. — 

 Lachmann, in his 'Flore de Brunswick,' finds variations, if 

 not in species, at least in their number and developement, up- 

 on each of the secondary or tertiary formations of that country. 



To return to the territory of Kitzbuhel ; — we will divide the 

 plants which cover it, into three sections, determined by their 

 affinity, and their constancy to the same strata. We will call 

 the first Bodenstete Pflanzen, which signifies plants never 

 found but on the same formation ; Bodenholde Pflanzen, or 

 those which are found more on one formation than another, 

 without being exclusively confined to either ; and lastly, Bo- 

 denwage Pflanzen, those which inhabit all soils indifferently. 

 These last are the most numerous, and the most common eve- 

 rywhere ; so much so, that in characterising a stratum, we 

 should have some difficulty in selecting the plants there met 

 with in the greatest abundance. It is true, it may happen 

 that the characteristic plants have nearly exterminated the 

 others ; thus, the Rhododendron hirsutum, R. Chamcecistus, 

 Globularia cordifolia, Biscutella laevigata, and Erica carnea, 

 frequently cover the calcareous strata which they characterise; 

 whilst the Rhododendron ferrugineum, Azalea procumbent. 

 Chrysanthemum alpinum, Sesleria disticha, and Juncus iri- 

 Jidus, indicate the presence of granite. If we include those of 

 the turf-beds, the plants characteristic of our country form 

 about a fifth part of the whole number. This number would 

 be still greater, if the strata themselves did not offer nume- 

 rous varieties in the same formation. Those called secondary 

 and tertiary being often nothing more than ancient rocks, mo- 

 dified by fire, water, or air, there results a want of homo gene - 

 ousness which must influence vegetation. It is upon elevated 

 summits, where the layer of soil is least considerable, and cul- 

 tivation has not been able to reach, that the natural formation 

 exercises the most powerful influence in determining the ex- 

 istence of certain plants. I have observed that the phane- 

 rogamous plants, which we may consider as the most cha- 



