Glum ales.] GRAMINACEi* 111 



une tin- appearance of trees. Some Bpeci< a of Bambu 

 '_'. The leaves of the tropical ' brasses are broad* r, and approach more in I 

 of other families of plants. Of this the genus Paspalus atfords many < uan\ 

 rate Bexee are more frequent in the tropical 1 1 hum, Andn i 



Anthistiria, [achaamum, - 1 igilops, and many other genera, which only ■ 

 Bone, and are there found in perfection, are monoecious, oi 

 haps the only extra-tropical genus with Beparau 

 downy, and elegant 5. The extra-tropical Grasses, on the contrary, 



ti-< >pii;il in respect of the number of individuals. That <. pacl 



especially in the colder parts of the t. mperat , in Bpring and Bummi i . 



the green meadows and pastures, is almost entirely wanting in the torrid 

 Grasses there do not grow crowded together, but, like othei plants, mot 

 Even in the southern parts of Europe, the assimilation to the warmi r • 

 respect, is by do means inconsiderable. Arundo donax, by its height, remit the 



I5ainlii.il ; Saccharum Ravennse, S. Teneriffse, Imperata arundin . 

 Lygeum Bpartum, and the Bpecies of Andropogon, ^Egilops, &c. by & , 

 hibit tropical qualities. The Grasses are also less gregarious, and meadov mr 



occur, in tin- south than in the- north of Europe. The generality are social plants. 

 " The distribution of cultivated * brasses is one of tin- most inter* sting of all sul 

 It is determined, not merely by climate, but depends on the civilisation, industry, 

 traffic of the people, and often on historical events. Within tin- northern polar 

 circle, agriculture is found onlj in a few places. In Siberia grain reaches at tin- utt 

 only to 60 , in the eastern parts scarcely above 55 , and in Kamtschatka there is □ 

 culture even in the most southern parts (51°). Tin- polar limit of agricultun 

 North west coast •'!' America appears to be somewhat higher; for, in the m 

 Russian possessions (57 to 52 |, barley and rye come to maturity. On tl 

 of America it is scarcely above 50 to 52 . Only in Europe, namely, in Lapland, 

 the polar limit reach an unusually high latitude (70°). Beyond this, dried fish, and i 

 and there potatoes, Bupply the place of grain. The grains which extend farthi st t 

 north in Europe are barley and eats. These, which in the milder climates are not i 

 for bread, afford to the inhabitants of the northern parts of Norway and S of a 



part of Siberia and Scotland, their chief vegetable nourishment. Rye is the next which 

 Incomes associated with these. This is tin- prevailing grain in a great part of the north- 

 ern temperate /.one, namely, in the south of Sweden and Norway, Denmark, and in all 

 the lands bordering on the Baltic : the north of Germany, and part of Siberia. In 

 latter another very nutritious grain, buck-wheat, is very frequently cultivate 1. In the 

 zone where rye prevails, wheat i- generally to be found ; barley being hi re chiefly culti- 



d for the manufacture of beer, and oats supplying food for the horses. Tothi - 

 follows a zone in Europe and western Asia, where rye disappears, and wheal ah 

 exclusively furnishes bread. The middle, or the south of France, England, 

 Scotland, a part of Germany, Hungary, the Crimea and Cauc 

 middle Asia, where agriculture is followed, belong to this zone. !!<■ 

 found ; wine supplants the use ol : id barley is cons quently 1 



comes a district where wheat still abounds, but no longer exclusivelj fun 

 rice and maize becoming frequent. To this /.one belong Porta 

 on the Mediterranean, Italy, and Greece ; further, the countries of ! 

 northern India, Arabia, Egypt, Nubia, Barbary, and the Canary 1 

 ter countries, however, the culture of maize or rice toward- the south, 

 considerable, and in some of them several kinds of sorghum (doura) an I 

 come to be added. In both these regions of wheat, rye onlj 

 elevation ; oats, however, mere -.Mom, and at last entirely di 



1 1 for horse- and nmles. In the eastern part- of the b in; r : 



tii'eiit, in China and Japan, OUT northern kinds of grain 



is found to predominate. The cause of this differeni 



of the old Continent appears to be in the manners 



In North America, wheat and rye grow as in 



is more reared in the Western than in the Old Contnn 



the southern provinces of the United States. In th< 



nates in America, rice in Asia, and both thi in 



Africa. The cause of this distribution is, without doubt, 1 



native country of rice, and America of maize. In 



neighbourhood of the tropics, wheat is also met with, but al 



other kind- of grain. Besides rice and maize, then- are. u 



kinds of grain, as well as other plants, which supply the inl 



used along with them, or entirely occupying their place. 



1 .tinent, yam.- (Di< . data), the mat 



