476 



ZONES AND REGIONS [Pt. Ill, Sect. II 



The large foliage of the tropical woody plants is rare in the temperate 

 rain-forest ; the leaves are mostly small (Fig. 245), but at the same time 

 of firmer, more leathery, consistence. They are glabrous usually, with a 

 glazed upper surface, entire or but slightly divided, occasionally however 

 pinnate, without ' dripping points ' ; they frequently possess water-reservoirs 

 in the form of aqueous tissue, several-layered epidermis or mucilage-cells; 

 their cuticle is usually fairly thick. It is well known that weakly de- 

 veloped protective means of 

 this kind against transpira- 

 tion are also exhibited in 

 trees of the tropical rain-forest. 

 The whole character of the 

 foliage in the temperate rain- 

 forest, however, denotes some- 

 what more unfavourable con- 

 ditions of water-supply, which 

 may consist less in summer 

 drought than in the cooling of 

 the soil during winter. 



Plank-buttresses, which are 

 so common in tropical trees, 

 occur only exceptionally in 

 the temperate rain-forest, and 

 epiphylly, cauliflory, water- 

 storing calyces are unknown 

 in them. 



The underwood frequently 

 exhibits as dense a growth as 

 in the tropics ; on the other 

 hand it lacks the well-de- 

 veloped foliage associated 

 with feeble branching, to 

 which the tropical American and Malayan rain-forests owe their incomparable 

 luxuriance. The same is true of the lianes. They are almost always abun- 

 dant in temperate rain-forests, but exhibit neither the diversity nor the huge 

 dimensions of those of warmer districts. Finally, the epiphytic vegetation 

 also presents a similar picture of weakened development within the same 

 type (Figs. 246, 248). In temperate as in tropical rain-forests ferns and 

 phanerogams always deck the stems and branches of the trees ; but their 

 poverty in forms, their usually small size, which never attains the dimensions 

 of a tree (except in Juan Fernandez), and the prevalence among them of 

 tolerant ferns, denote less favourable conditions. 



As regards the composition of its flora the temperate rain-forest agrees 



Fig. 243. Subtropical rain-forest in Central Florida. 

 From a photograph. 



