The Antarctic 



in keeping itself alive in the dry exposed plateaus and 

 rocky hills where it grows. 



Another extraordinary fact about Azorella and similar 

 high Andine plants is also recorded by Dr. Reiche. 

 On ioth March 1899, at 1 P.M., the air temperature 

 was 1 6° C. When the bulb of the thermometer was 

 sunk in the sandy soil it recorded 3 8° C. But in a 

 very thick clump of Azorella, the temperature was only 

 21 C. At six in the morning of the next day both 

 the temperatures of the air and sand were 3 C, whilst 

 that of the Azorella was 5 C. So that in the cold 

 morning it was three degrees warmer, and in hot 

 sunshine seventeen degrees cooler than the sand wherein 

 it grew. One can hardly suppose that a plant with such 

 complex adaptations to life in the Andes, and forming 

 characteristic associations, just happened to get to South 

 America and establish itself there by a lucky chance. 



There are three ways in which one might possibly 

 explain the relationship of the New Zealand and Chilian 

 floras. According to one theory, both these places as well 

 as South Africa are Continent ends. Some very ancient 

 set of plants once extended all over the world, it has 

 been invaded and dispossessed of its ground by other 

 and new plant-cohorts everywhere except in the ends 

 of South America, South Africa, and New Zealand. 

 These would be refuges where the older types have 

 succeeded in keeping themselves alive. 



One might compare the process to the survival of 

 bushmen in the Kalahari desert in South Africa and of the 

 recently exterminated aborigines of Tasmania. It has 

 not been clearly shown that the Tasmanian aborigines 

 were allied to the bushmen, but supposing this were 

 true it would mean that this low type of humanity once 

 extended all round the Indian Ocean from the Cape of 

 Good Hope by India and Malaya to Australia and Van 

 Diemen's Land. 



101 



