MR. J. BALL’S SPICILEGIUM FLORH® MAROCOAN®. 299 
Cyperacezx only 25 species; and very few of these belong to sub- 
alpine or alpine types. 
In my opinion, however, the general numerical results obtained 
from tabular statements, such as those I have already given, are 
very likely to mislead unless critically controlled. The bounda- 
ries of states are determined by historical accidents, and, to a 
slight extent only, by physical geography; and it often happens 
that in general summaries the characteristics of what form natu- 
ral divisions of the earth’s surface are masked by these being 
thrown in along with others wherein different conditions predo- 
minate. 
Bearing in mind that the entire of Marocco in a botanical 
sense forms part of the Mediterranean region, it includes within 
its boundaries several provinces, partly corresponding to geogra- 
phical limits, which exhibit well-marked features, and are distin- 
guished by a considerable number of species not common to other 
provinces. 
Speaking broadly, and excluding the wide-spread species, which 
belong to two types—A1st, those widely spread through the cooler 
temperate zone, either Old World or extending to the New 
World, and, 2nd, tropical species which extend more or less 
widely into the warmer temperate regions—there are within the 
Maroceo territory five elements, of which four correspond more 
or less closely to geographical limits. 
The Mediterranean flora, including within that term species 
confined to that region and widely spread throughout it, forms 
what may be considered as the substratum extending throughout 
the whole territory, excepting only the higher range of the Great 
Atlas. Overlying, so to say, this substratum, we find in the 
northern extremity of Marocco a strong infusion of another 
element, which is now generally denominated the Peninsular 
flora. This is recognizable, even to the unscientific observer, by 
the number of conspicuous flowering shrubs, including, along 
with more wide-spread species of those genera, several showy 
species of Cistus and Erica, with numerous herbaceous plants, 
such as the curious Drosophyliwm lusitanicum. We do not know 
the limits of this province along the coast between Tetuan and 
the Algerian frontier ; but it does not seem to extend more than 
30 or 40 miles southward from Tangier and Cape Spartel, and in 
point of fact nearly all the 96 species set down as common 
exclusively to Spain and Marocco have been found in the neigh- 
z2 
