FROM MIRBEL. 276 



its aspect. The proportion of the woody to the her- 

 baceous species, is vastly more considerable towards 

 the Equator than in Europe ; and the difference is 

 therefore in favour of the equinoctial regions, for trees 

 give the character of grandeur to vegetation. Those 

 of the dicotyledonous class within the tropics, are fre- 

 quently conspicuous for the height and circumference 

 of their stems, the richness and variety of their foliage, 

 as well as the bright and well-contrasted colours of 

 their blossom. By the irregularity of their forms, they 

 set off to advantage the arborescent monocotyledons of 

 the Palm tribe, which have in general the simple so- 

 ber forms of our columns, of which they were the mod- 

 els. It is towards the Equator, that the gigantic climb- 

 ers, which grow to the length of several hundred yards 

 are found ; as well as those magnificent herbs of the Scit~ 

 aminece and Musoe, as tall as the trees of our orchards ; 

 with flowers and foliage not less pre-eminent in their 

 dimensions. For instance, the Corypha umbraculifera, 

 an East Indian palm, with leaves in the form of an um- 

 brella, and more than six yards across ; and the Aristo- 

 lochia, that grows on the river of La Madalena, the 

 flowers of which, according to M. de Humboldt, serve 

 the children for hats. The far greater part of the ar- 

 omatic plants, belong also to the equatorial regions. 



By the side of this rich and varied vegetation, that 

 ef Europe appears poor and tame. Here the species 

 of trees are few ; and all have a port and foliage in 

 which much sameness prevails. Their flowers make 

 so little show, that the generality of people, who think 

 nothing of the flower except the corolla, being ignorant 

 of the use and importance of the other parts, believe 

 that most trees have none at all. 



The inferiority of the vegetation of Northern regions 



