gi-eatest Heights of the Hymalaydh and Upper Peru. 4^ 



meadows and smaller vegetable forms, that there depend the most 

 characteristic features of the vegetation of different regions. 

 There is no doubt that vegetation, not only in a physiognomical, 

 but also in a statistical point of view, is uniform in the whole 

 northern portion of the northern hemisphere ; and this simi- 

 larity, apart, of course, from local phenomena, extends nearly 

 to the middle of the temperate zone. The same vegetable 

 forms, — the same families, — nay even nearly the identical genera 

 and species, occur there, as well in America as in Asia and in 

 Europe ; and also the mode of their combination is almost every 

 where the same. Proceeding southwards, the vegetable forms 

 accumulate ; and the number of those that are peculiar to this 

 or that meridian becomes greater ; but the physiognomy, never- 

 theless, remains wonderfullv similar. In the colder portion of 

 the temperate zone, our beautiful forest trees (Laubhoher), 

 predominate both in Europe and in North America. In the 

 warmer portions of the temperate zone, and al.so in the subtro- 

 pical zone, there prevail the evergreens {Lauhholzcr mit immer- 

 griinenden BIdttern) ; and these present themselves in America 

 as well as in Europe and Asia, although, in reference to the 

 genera, important differences occur in different meridians. It 

 has been attempted to distinguish the territory of the Magnolias, 

 that of the Camellias, &c., but such territories have not been 

 well established ; there are only particular genera belonging to 

 these vegetable forms, which, in certain longitudes of the corres- 

 ponding zone, are represented by other genera. The magnolias 

 include only a few species, and do not occur in large masses, 

 like our forest trees ; they appear on the east side of Asia, viz. 

 in Japan, where they are associated with camellias. In the 

 same latitude in Europe and the neighboui'ing portions of Af- 

 rica, MO have laurels, myrtles, the quercus ilex, the pistachio, 

 and the arbutus unedo ; and we want only the large flowers and 

 large leaves of the magnolias ; the cypress form, on the con- 

 trary, extends from America to the east coast of Asia, and with 

 it arc associated heaths and tamarisks. The knotty and thornj'^ 

 shrubs, and the tree-like grasses, which make their appearance in 

 Southern Europe, have corresponding representatives in the same 

 zone in North America and in Asia ; in short, I could follovvout 

 this similarity in the physiognomy of the vegetations much farther, 



