THE CONIFEROUS PLANTS OF ITALY. 117 



Tagliamento, Piave, on the Baldo and Legnone mountains, in 

 the Valteline, on the Siniplon, Mont Cenis, and at the Col de 

 Tende,) especially in the sandy soil of the valleys of the plain ; 

 it is not, however, as abundant as the spruce, silver or larch firs. 

 According to some, it is also found on the northern Apennines ; 

 and if this is correct, here ought also to be fixed its southern 

 limit, for the indications of the localities of P. sylvestris in the 

 rest of the Apennines and in Sicily certainly belong to other 

 species. 



The upper limit on the southern slope of the Alps is as a 

 mean about 5000 Paris feet above the sea ; but in places (as in 

 the Col de Tende) it is as high as 6000 feet, whilst on the 

 northern slope this species of Pinus is not found higlier than 

 4000 feet. As a general rule, it cannot be said to exist lower 

 than 2000 feet above the sea, although it sometimes (the level of 

 Tolmezza) occurs as low as 1000 feet, and even still lower (on 

 the borders of the Tagliamento). 



In Scandinavia the northern limit of Pinus sylvestris is at 

 about 69°-70° (Wahlenberg, v. Buch). In the Scandinavian 

 Peninsula, and the north of the eastern plain of Europe, it 

 plays a very important part, for it there constitutes immense 

 forests, and acquires a considerable height. It is also found in 

 Scotland, in the sandy plains of the north of Germany (where it 

 has for the most part been planted), in the mountains of central 

 Europe, and in the valleys on the north of the Alps (Chamouni, 

 the Valais, the valley of the Rhine, tlie Orisons, the Tyrol, Ba- 

 varia, Carinthia). 



Towards the west, it is found as far as the Pyrenees (De 

 Candolle, Bentham) ; whilst, on the contrary, those localities, in 

 the peninsulas of Spain and Greece, where it has been stated to 

 have been found, belong most probably to some other species. 

 It is also said to be found in Northern Asia and on the Cau- 

 casus ; but it is doubtful whether the species found there is iden- 

 tical with or only analogous to the Pinus sylvestris. 



2. Pinus Pumilio. Hdnke. 



This species is found on the southern slope of the Alps to- 

 wards the east (Tyrol, Baldo, Dorso d'Abramo, Maloggia), as 

 well as towards the west (vSimplon, Col de Tende) ; but the 

 transitory forms of Pinus sylvestris are so common, and tlie dis- 

 tinctions between tliem and P. Pumilio are so narrow when there 

 are no cones, that I am not quite certain that some of the above 

 localities do not belong to alpine forms of Pinus sylvestris. P. 

 Pumilio is found beyond the limits of trees, but scarcely higher 

 than 7500 feet, nor lower than 4000 feet; it prefers a swampy 

 soil. This species also grows on the northern slope of the Alps, 



