580 SCHOUW'S PHYTO-GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS. 



the Great and Little Antilles. Bananas, Plantains, Mangos, Guava, 

 Avocado Pear, Tamarind, and many other useful plants are met with. 

 The Flora is intermediate between that of Mexico and the northern 

 parts of South America. Mean temperature, 59 to 78. Cultivated 

 plants the same as those in the fifteenth region. 



20. Region of Palmes and Melastomacece. It embraces Brazil and 

 that part of South America which lies to the east of the chain of the 

 Andes, between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. Vellozia 

 and Lichnophora give a decided feature to the peculiar vegetation of 

 some of the mountainous parts. Here, also, numerous large peculiar 

 species of Eriocaulon occur. Species of Croton, Dorstenia, and Heli- 

 conia are also met with, along with arborescent Solanums. In place 

 of the few mosses and lichens which cover the trunks or branches of 

 forest trees in temperate climes, in Brazil they are bearded from the 

 roots to the very extremities of the smallest branches with Ferns, 

 Araceas, Tillandsias, Cactuses, Orchids, Piperomias, and Gesneras. Mean 

 temperature, 59to 82. Same plants cultivated as in the fifteenth region. 



21. The Region of Arborescent Composites. The great number of 

 arborescent Composites, and of plants belonging to the order Caty- 

 ceracece, forms the chief feature of this Flora, which approaches in a 

 remarkable manner to that of Europe, whilst it differs entirely from the 

 floras of Chili, the Cape, and New Holland. This region comprehends 

 the lower part of the basin of La Plata, and the plains which extend 

 to the west of Buenos Ayres and Chili, between the tropic of Capricorn 

 and latitude 40 south. (The Flora of Chili approaches that of New 

 Holland, the Cape of Good Hope, and New Zealand, in Goodenia, 

 Araucaria, Proteacece, Gunnera, Ancistrum.) Mean temperature, 59 

 to 75. European plants form here objects of culture. Wheat, the 

 Vine, and the Peach, are widely extended. 



22. The Antarctic Region. This includes the countries near the 

 Straits of Magellan, Terra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. There 

 is a considerable resemblance between the vegetation here and what is 

 seen in the north temperate zone. Polar forms display themselves in 

 the species of Saxifrage, Gentian, Arbutus, and Primrose. There is 

 also a resemblance between the plants of this region, and those of the 

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

 Fagus antarctica, and Winter's Bark occur here. Many of the com- 

 mon British weeds are found at the southern extremity of South 

 America. In the Falkland Islands is found Dactylis ccesjntosa, the 

 Tussac grass, which furnishes most valuable fodder. Mean temper- 

 ature, 41 to 46. No cultivation. 



23. The Region of Mesembryanthema, and Stapelice, These two 

 genera, as well as the Ericece, Heaths, are very abundant. The 

 latter family is found in greater quantity here than anywhere else. 

 The region embraces the southern extremity of Africa. Iridacece, 



