562 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



low-^rass, sandworts, sedges, and gentians. Perhaps, also, the mountains of Mexico 

 belong to this region, although they may form a separate province that of the oaks and 



firs. 



10. The Chilian region. The flora of Chili differs essentially from those of New 

 Holland, the Cape of Good Hope, and New Zealand, although an approach to them is 

 observable in the genera Goodenia, Araucaria, or Chilian pine, Protea, Gunnera, and 

 Ancistrum. In a few favoured valleys the ground is quite yellow with the multitudes of 

 flowers of Pancratium Amancaes a beautiful and rare specimen of the genus whose 

 expanding flowers are the signal for the commencement of the revels bearing its name. 



11. The region of Arborescent Composites, or arborescent plants, with flowers like the 

 dandelion and daisy. The great number of syngenesious plants, more particularly of the 

 family of Boopidece, forms the chief feature of this flora, which approaches in a remark 

 able manner to that of Europe, while it differs entirely from those of Chili, the Cape, and 

 New Holland. This region comprehends the lower part of the basin of the Rio Plata, 

 and the plains which extend to the west of Buenos Ayres. 



12. The Antarctic region, formed by the countries near the Straits of Magellan. The 

 vegetation here has a considerable affinity with what is seen in the north temperate zone. 

 Polar forms, however, display themselves in the species of saxifrage, gentian, arbutus, 

 and primrose. There is also a resemblance between the flora of this region and those of 

 the mountains of South America, of Chili, and the Cape. 



13. The region of New Zealand. This flora, besides the plants peculiar to these 

 islands, comprehends several others which belong to the extremities of America, Africa, 

 and Australia, The Pkormium tenax is here indigenous, whose numerous leaves the 

 natives manufacture into matting ; or a coarse thread is separated from them, and made 

 into cordage and coarse linen, as is done from different species of aloe and agave in the 

 Levant and southern Europe. 



14. The region of Epacrides and Eucalypti, comprehending the temperate parts of 

 Australia and Van Diemen's Land. The former are ornamental plants growing upon 

 high situations ; the latter are lofty timber trees. Besides these two families, from which 

 the region derives its name, it is characterised by the presence of a great number of Pro- 

 teacete, Stylidece, Restiacece, Diosmece, myrtles, and acacias. 



15. The region of Mesembryanthema, Fig-Marigolds, and Stapelias. These two 

 genera, as well as the heaths, are very abundant here. It embraces the southern extre 

 mity of Africa, where the family of heaths is found in greater quantity than anywhere 

 else. But three or four humble British shrubs, with the heath of Spain, Erica Mediter- 

 ranea, were known previous to the conquest of the Cape of Good Hope. Several 

 hundreds of species were then brought to light, many of very elegant, and some of 

 splendid appearance. 



16. The region of "Western Africa. We are only acquainted with Guinea and Congo, 

 the vegetation of which is a mixture of the floras of Asia and America, bearing most 

 resemblance to the former. A considerable number of grasses and sedges characterise 

 this region, and the peculiar genus Adansonia, the baobab the largest known tree in 

 the world. The name is derived from the French botanist Adanson, who first observed 

 the tree upon bis voyage to Senegal. He measured the trunks of several from sixty-five 

 to seventy-eight feet in circumference, the single branches of which would be equal to 

 monstrous trees : and where the water of a river had washed away the earth, so as to 

 leave the roots of one partially bare and open to the sight, they measured 1 10 feet long. 



17. The region of Eastern Africa, of the vegetation of which no definite knowledge is 

 yet possessed. 



18. The region of the Scitaminece, the turmeric, cardamom, and Indian shot, or the 



