Oil the Vegetable Productions of Abyssinia 



401 



which are pecuharly adapted to the ever-shift- 

 ing soil. In this they are sometimes deeply 

 buried, and lie dormant for several years, 

 when the winds come and denude them as 

 suddenly as they previously ovenvhelmed 

 them ; and they recommence growing, and 

 produce their flowers as if nothing particular 

 had happened to them. The flora of Abys- 

 sinia, and of the eastern coast generally, is, 

 perhaps, less diversified than that of the 

 western coast ; but it is, nevertheless, on 

 account of the great height to which the 

 mountains rise, exceedingly interesting and 

 very comprehensive in its features. From a 

 rough calculation, the flora of Abyssinia, 

 excluding the lower Cryptogams, may be 

 estimated at about 2500 species. In certain 

 sterile and arid districts it partakes in some 

 degree of the desert character, abounding 

 in fleshy-stemmed Euphorbias and Adeniums, 

 thorny Acacias and Jujube bushes. In other 

 places, again, the presence of balsam-pro- 

 ducing trees and shrubs indicates an aftinity 

 to the flora of the opposite coast of Arabia. 

 Notwithstanding the immense desert lying 

 between Abyssinia and the fertile regions 

 of the western coast, a large proportion of 

 the plants are common to both parts. This 

 applies more especially to those occurring 

 above an elevation of 5000 feet. In the 

 lowlands, the species peculiar to each coast 

 are more numerous ; but even here the 

 genera are to a great extent the same. 

 Some Abyssinian species extend northwards 

 to the Mediterranean, others southwards to 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and a very few, 

 excepting ubiquitous tropical weeds, to Mada- 

 gascar, India, and Australia. Many genera 

 and species are common to the mountains 

 of tropical Africa and the plains of Europe. 

 Several British species are found on the 

 mountains of Abyssinia and Biafra — Car- 

 damine hirsuta, Cerastium vulgatum, Oxalis 

 corniculata. Umbilicus pendulinus, Galium 

 aparine, Scabiosa succisa, Myosotis stricta, 

 Limosella aquatica, Sibthorpia Europnsa, 

 Solanum nigrum, Rumex obtusifolius, Des- 

 champsia c^spitosa, Aira caryophyllea, Poa 

 nemoralis, Koeleria cristata, Vulpia bromoides, 

 Brachypodium sylvaticum, Asplenium adian- 

 VOL. r. 



tum-nigrum, A. filix-foemina, and Lastrea 

 filix-mas. Besides these species, common 

 to Britain and Abyssinia, many of our other 

 genera are represented by allied species, as — 

 Viola, Silene, Arenaria, Sagina, Hypericum, 

 Geranium, Trifolium, Rubus, Alchemilla, 

 Pimpinella, Cynoglossum, Utricularia, Vero- 

 nica, Hartsia, Stachys, Calamintha, Poly- 

 gonum, Thesium, Avena, etc. It should be 

 borne in mind, too, that many of the fore- 

 going species or genera are also found on 

 the Himmalayan mountains, and eastward to 

 China and Japan. 



With these European forms are associ- 

 ated many tropical or subtropical genera, 

 as the following : — Vitis, Schmidelia, Desmo- 

 dium, Vernonia, Mikania, Ubeia, Boleum, 

 Plectranthus, Cyathula, Lasiosiphon, Pilea, 

 Peperomia, Commelyna, Cyperus, Panicum, 

 etc. But of these many, of course, do 

 not ascend to the highest points. The flora 

 has been described as poor in comparison 

 with that of other tropical countries. But 

 this must be understood as referring to the 

 number of species dispersed over the 

 whole territory, for the well-watered valleys 

 are rich in species and individuals, while 

 the volcanic mountains and sandy plains are 

 either almost destitute of vegetation, or only 

 occupied by very few species. 



Cycadeacese, Lauracea, Ternstroemiaceae, 

 Dipterocarpese, Ilicineffi, Magnoliaceae, Ber- 

 beride^, and other families, are entirely 

 absent from Abyssinia. The large family 

 Myrtacece is sparingly represented, while the 

 neighbouring family, Combretace^e, is abun- 

 dant. There is no family of plants exclu- 

 sively confined to Abyssinia, nor indeed 

 to tropical Africa; but several genera are 

 limited either to Abyssinia or tropical Africa. 

 Many genera, formerly supposed to be pecu- 

 liar to Abyssinia, have recently been discovered 

 by explorers on the western side of the 

 continent, as Brucea, Nathusia, etc. 



I will now pass in review a few of the 

 more important and interesting families re- 

 presented in Abyssinia, specially noticing 

 those plants employed either medicinally or 

 economically. It is almost superfluous to 

 remark, that the Abyssinians have tilled the 



D D 



