748 ZONES AND REGIONS [Pt. Ill, Sect. IV 



scattered deciduous broad-leaved trees, such as oaks, alders, and limes. The temperate 

 mesophilous character associated with winter-rest is here completely developed. 

 In accordance with the desiccating influence of the cold during winter, epiphytes 

 which occur in great numbers in the lower parts of the montane region are absent 

 here (Fig. 446). 



On the peak of Orizaba alders range somewhat higher than the coniferous forest. 

 True elfin-wood appears to be wanting ; its place is taken to a certain extent by the 

 malformed dwarf-trees of Pinus Montezumae. Steppe and shrubland cover the 

 lower belt of the alpine region, and desert occupies its upper portion. 



iii. BRAZIL. 



The coast mountains of Brazil at their highest elevation, Itatiaia-assu, 

 attain only 2,713 meters above sea-level. Nevertheless they exhibit a rich 

 differentiation into regions, which I studied on the Serra do Picu, not far 

 from Itatiaia-assu. 



After the typical tropical rain-forest of the basal region there follows the temperate 

 rain-forest in the montane region. The latter possesses only a few thin-stemmed 

 lianes, and is very poor in epiphytes ; even mosses do not occur in great numbers. 

 The upper belt of the montane region is occupied by an almost pure wood of 

 Araucaria brasiliana. The summit is covered by a savannah-formation, which both 

 systematically as well as oecologically agrees with the campo of the interior of 

 Minas Geraes, and is termed ' campo elevado.' Besides grasses, leafless and small- 

 leaved Compositae prevail (Fig. 444), Melastomaceae with small stiff leaves and 

 a woolly malpighiaceous plant (Banisteria campestris) appear everywhere, occasion- 

 ally accompanied by a gnarled, leathery-leaved little tree (Eugenia sp.). Another 

 myrtaceous plant, a Psidium with very aromatic fruit (' goyaba dos campos'), is 

 developed as a dwarf-shrub and is no larger than the surrounding perennials and 

 undershrubs. In contrast with the montane region, at the time of my visit 

 (December) all the plants here were in full blossom. All the plants of this summit 

 flora possess pronounced xerophilous structure, but in other respects, in harmony 

 with the moderate elevation, they display merely indications of the alpine habit. 



The alpine campo-vegetation of the mountains of Central Brazil is occasionally 

 distinguished by the possession of species of Vellozia, massive liliaceous plants, up 

 to two meters in height, which physiognomically represent the ' frailejon ' of the 

 paramos. Like the latter, the Vellozieae possess thick, simple or forked, stems that 

 are clad with the scale-like bases of the leaves and topped with rosettes of long firm 

 leaves. Splendid large flowers render these plants, in spite of their heavy appear- 

 ance, the greatest ornaments of the Brazilian mountain flora. 



