THE A:N^CIE5^T A:N"D modern" floras or MOyTPELLIER. 



211 



three others in the present one, the precise mode of introduction, 

 whether as escapes from the Botanic gardens, where they had all been 

 previously cultivated, or introduced with cultivated seeds, cannot 

 now be ascertained. 



A cause of introduction of exotic plants into the Montpellier 

 territory which has of late years excited much interest amongst 

 French botanists, is that of the Port Juvenal ground, where foreign 

 wools are washed and spread for drying. These drying grounds 

 have long existed. The first legal document by which they were 

 devoted to the purpose is dated the 6th January, 1700 5 but even 

 before that they were probably so used. The attention of botanists 

 was, however, not called to them till early in the present century. 

 The first published mention of plants so introduced is in De 

 Candolle's Flore Frangaise. Since then Millois, head gardener of the 

 Botanic Garden, has collected many, which were introduced into 

 Loiseleur's Flora Gallica, and Delile and Touchy have perseveringly 

 applied themselves to completing the list, which Godron published in 

 3.853 under the title of Flora Juvenalis. To this list further additions 

 have been made, especially by the botanists assembled at the meeting 

 of the Societe Botanique de France in 1857, and the total number, 

 as since recorded by Cosson, has been carried to 458 species, including, 

 perhaps, a few which we should be inclined to consider only as 

 marked varieties. 



Up to the year 1880, the wools imported were almost exclusively 

 from the Mediterranean region, and accordingly none of the exotic 

 plants mentioned in the earlier records, as found on the locality in 

 question, were from more distant countries ; but since 1830 the im- 

 portation has been chiefly, and of late years almost exclusively, from 

 America, especially from Buenos Ayres and Eio de la Plata, and the 

 origin of the total number of 468 species found up to the present 

 time, is thus given : — 



Mediterranean region 356 



Europe, exclusive of the Mediterranean region 



North America 



South America 



Central Africa 

 Australia 



Cosmopolite species 

 Origin unknown 



20 

 10 



28 

 1 

 1 

 1 



51 



468 



