BOTANY. 51 



Forests of Oak, Beech, and Maple, with Ternstroemia, Euphorbiaceae, and 

 Melastomaceae, many Coniferag. 



6. Region of Abietinece. 



9500 to 11,400 feet high. Temperature, 51.8° F. Corresponds to the 

 subarctic zone. 



In the Peruvian Andes, instead of Coniferoj there occur Escallonise, Win- 

 tera granatensis, and Andromedge, with Swertia. In the Mexican plateaus, 

 in addition to the Abietineae. there are forests of Oak and Yucca, Tillandsia 

 and Cactacese, with Stevia arenaria. Ranunculus, and Astragalus. 



7. Region of Alpine Shrnbs, or of Rhododcndronna. 



11,400 to 13,300 feet high. Temperature 44.6° F. Corresponds to the 

 arctic zone. 



No trees, only shrubs ; Rhododendrons, Astragalus. Befaria, Cactus, 

 Calceolaria. 



8. Region of Alpine Plants. 



13,300 to 15,200 feet high. Temperature, 37|° to 39^° F. Corresponds 

 to the polar zone. 



In the northern Cordilleras, Composite, Mimulus, Calceolaria, Sida, 

 Lupinus ; in the southern, Lecidea geographica, grasses, Plantago, Gentiana, 

 Befaria, Mullinsia, Epilobium. In the mountains of Java, Valeriana, 

 Gentiana, Viola, Ranunculus, Potentilla, Draba, Primula, Salix, Astragalus, 

 Phyteuma, &c. 



PL 73, fig. 1, presents a general view of those cultivated plants, which 

 furnish the principal articles of food and medicine : the various Cerealia 

 Cacao, Sugar, Coffee. Tea, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Clove, 

 Cotton, and Peruvian Bark. Fig. 2 is a more detailed exhibition of the 

 Chinese and East Indian region of cotton, tea-plant, cinnamon tree, pepper, 

 &c. Fig. 3 is a special chart of the region of the sugar-cane, coffee, and 

 cacao tree, of tea, vanilla, &c., in the West Indies and South America. 

 The remaining four figures present to us the vertical distribution of plants. 

 Fig. 4 represents this distribution in the temperate zone of Asia. From the 

 foot of the Himalayas to the middle of the region, between 3 and 4, no snow 

 occurs ; and up to a point half-way between 4 and 5, the snow vanishes 

 before the rainy season, and the tropical herbaceous plants cease to exist. 

 Oaks are found at 4. Rhododendrons at 6, &.c. At a height from 1 to a 

 region between B and 4, we find first the dwarf palm, higher up the long- 

 leaved fig, Shorea robusta, and finally oaks. Between C and D is the region 

 of sugar plantations ; between D and E, that of the Deodora Cedar ; between 

 E and F are found wheat, walnut, and almond trees, (fcc. ; between F and 



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