THE COXIFEROrs PLANTS OF ITALY. 



129 



Etna, on the mountains of Calabria, and perhaps on the higliest 

 points of the Abruzzi. 



If we consider Italy south of the Po as a whole without dis- 

 tinct regions, it will contain sixteen more species than are found 

 on the Alps; this might have been expected, since this country- 

 possesses the climates of the Mediterranean, central Europe, and 

 the Polar regions, according to the height above the sea. Three 

 forms are, liowever, missing; the Larix, Cembra, and Abies, 

 properly so called (the Spruce Fir), but no distinct type makes 

 its appearance except Cupressus, which is cultivated. 



Greece, and its islands, appear, as regards Conifers, to re- 

 semble Italy in every essential point. In the plains we ha.\eJuni- 

 perus macrocarpa and phanicea, Pinus Pinea and haleperisis, 

 Cupressus sempervirens ; on the mountains, P. Laricio, Abies 

 pectinata, Taxus baccata, Juniperus communis, Oxycedrus, 

 Sabina , but we find peculiar to Greece Abies cephalonica and 

 Apollinis, Link. Spain also resembles Italy in every'importaiit 

 particular. These countries have in common Pinus Pinaster, 

 halepensis, Juniperus macrocarpa, Cupressus sempervirens, m 

 the plains ; and Taxus baccata, Pinus Laricio, Juniperus Sabi- 

 na, commufiis, and nana, on the mountains. At a height of 

 from 3500 to 6000 feet on the mountains of the south of Spain 

 there is found, according to Boissier, Abies Pinsapo, which does 

 not occur in Italy. 



The northern coast of Africa, and particularly the Atlas and 

 the table-land of Barca, furnish a part of the Italian forms, viz. 

 Pinus Pinea, halepensis, Cupressus sempervirens, Juniperus 

 phcenicea, and macrocarpa, and in addition to these quite a 

 new form, Callitris quadrivalvis. The Conifers are not found 

 south of the Atlas. In the Canary Islands we have a species of 

 Pine, viz. P. canariensis, and two species of Juniper, which are 

 also probably peculiar to these islands. The species in Syria 

 and Asia Minor are the same as those found in Italy, at least 

 those on the northern coast of Africa. On Lebanon the re- 

 markable Cedar appears, which is most allied to the Larch 

 among the northern forms. 



According to the authorities given above, North America 

 possesses three Junipers that occur in Europe, viz. J. communis, 

 nana, Sabina. As the two former are found in the extreme 

 north of Europe, this fact confirms the striking similarity that 

 exists between the Polar and sub-Polar regions of the two 

 continents ; that Juniperus Sabina should be found in Xorth 

 America is more strange, as it does not appear north of central 

 Europe. Tlie North American Yew is considered by some as 

 identical with, and by others as different from, the European 

 species. The richness of North America in Conifers in the form 



VOL. TII. K 



