26 THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



graphical limits of the palms beyond this. In 

 Europe, the date palm and the dwarf coast 

 palm {Chamccrops humilis) are found in Spain 

 and Italy as far as 44° north latitude, as about 

 Genoa and in Valencia, where there are •whole 

 forests of the former. Some date palms at 

 Eome have stood a cold of 2^^°, below the 

 freezing point. In Asia, the date palm reaches 

 its northern limit at Smyrna, in latitude 38° 

 25'. In the centre of that continent, the Hima- 

 layas seem to be the limit, but the botany of 

 Thibet is all but unknown. Ehaphis fiabelli- 

 formis and Chamcerops excclsa occur in Japan, 

 between 30° and 40° north latitude. In Ame- 

 rica, Chamcerops licdmetto has the most northerly 

 range of the species of this family, and it does 

 not advance beyond 34°. 



In the southern hemisphere, Mr. E. BroAvn 

 found that palms, of Avhich there are however 

 but few (six or seven) species, advance as far as 

 34° south latitude in Australia, while one {Areca 

 sapida) was seen by sir Joseph Banks in New 

 Zealand in latitude 38°. In Africa, which is 

 poor in palms, only one species, Ihjphvnc cori- 

 acea, advances as far as Port Natal, 30° south 

 latitude. The continent of America presents 

 almost the same limits. Jnhcca spectnbiiis, the 

 " Coco de Chili,'" the only palm indigenous to 



