THE NORTH TEMPERATE ZONE 53 



olives and cypresses. Deciduous trees, e. g., elms and poplars, 

 are by no means absent, and at moderate elevations in the moun- 

 tains there are sometimes extensive chestnut forests, whose nuts 

 are a very important article of food. In the highest mountains 

 most of the central European trees are found. 



In northern Italy, including the beautiful lake region, quite a 

 different climate prevails from that of the sea-coast. There is a 

 much greater range of temperature than in the maritime districts, 

 and a much heavier precipitation, especially in the lake region. 

 There is an abundant summer rainfall, and the climate is very 

 much like that of the warmer Atlantic United States, so that it is 

 not surprising to find such characteristic American trees as the 

 tulip-tree, black walnut and various oaks growing with unusual 

 luxuriance in the parks of Milan and the gardens of the villas about 

 Como. 



A very characteristic formation on the Riviera and elsewhere 

 about the Mediterranean is the "Macchia" clothing the hill- 

 sides with a dense thicket of evergreen, often thorny shrubs, like 

 the " chaparral" of the Californian mountains. The macchia is 

 made up of a great variety of shrubs, many very ornamental. 

 Among these are the Arbutus, laurels, heaths, rock-roses (Cistus 

 spp.), brooms, and others often seen in cultivation, as well as some 

 not so familiar. 



The only native European palm, Chamaerops humilis, not unlike 

 the scrub palmettos of Florida, occurs in the warmest parts of the 

 Mediterranean littoral. It is especially common in southern Spain 



and Sicily. 



Many showy bulbous and tuberous plants abound in the Med- 

 iterranean region, and are more or less familiar in cultivation. 

 Among these are magnificent blue and scarlet anemones, various 

 species of narcissus and tulips, crocuses and snowdrops, gladioli 

 and iris, as well as some attractive ground orchids. 



The Mediterranean region is preeminently the land of the vine 

 and olive, both of which are native, and cultivated from time im- 

 memorial. Wheat is universally cultivated, and in many regions, 

 maize is now a very important crop. Rice is also grown both in 

 Spain and Italy. Fruits and vegetables of many kinds are an im- 

 portant element in the diet of all Mediterranean peoples. 



Especially in the south of France, the cultivation of flowers on 



