172 CHAPTER XXIII. 



water ; but the great mass of those which have no 

 such provision are compelled to waste as little water 

 as possible. To this end they become torpid during 

 the drought, and protect themselves by a hairy cover- 

 ing, so as to reduce transpiration to a minimum. 

 Even the succulent species must economize their water 

 supply to the utmost, and it is interesting to observe 

 that they have fewer stomata than any other class of 

 plants, excepting of course those which are submerged. 



Nowhere in the world, says Kerner, is the hairy 

 covering on foliage as a protection against exhalation 

 so abundant and so varied as in the floral region 

 surrounding the Mediterranean. The trees have 

 foliage with grey hairs, and the " Phrygian under- 

 growth" (as Theophrastus calls it) of shrubs and 

 smaller plants, which clothe the sunny hills, is also 

 grey or whitish. The aspect of the landscape is so 

 much affected in this way that we are tempted to 

 speak of the flora as " ever-grey " rather than " ever- 

 green." There is an endless variety of this hairy 

 coating on the leaves ; it may resemble cotton, or 

 wool, or silk, or felt. 



This drought-resisting arrangement is well seen 

 in the Composites, especially in the genera Andryala, 

 Artemisia, Evax, Filago, Inula, Santolina, and 

 Helichrysum. Every one of these occurs on the 

 Riviera. Andryala has pale yellow flowers, and the 

 down which covers the plant is also yellowish. I 

 used to find it on the Route de St. Laurent, near Nice. 

 Artemisia is represented here by as many as ten 

 species. Nearly all of these are confined to the 

 mountains, including A. Absinthium, which makes 

 the well-known drink. But a rare species, A . gallica, 



