THE WARMER TEMPERATE ZONE. 151 



tiful tribe of flowers, appearing in a won- 

 derful succession, which open every morn- 

 ing, and fall off before the close of the 

 day. The gum cistus (0. ladaniferus) is a 

 well-known and extremely beautiful species ; 

 it forms extensive groves in the south of Spain 

 and Portugal, but is not found either in Italy 

 or Greece. In the north of Italy, rice 

 reaches its northern limit in Europe. It is 

 cultivated near Milan, but the employment is 

 so deleterious to the labourers engaged in it, 

 that the government has prohibited its further 

 extension. The Spanish chesnut abounds in 

 the forests of the south of Europe ; one on 

 Mount JEtna has long been celebrated, and is 

 said to be capable of sheltering a hundred 

 horsemen iinder its boughs. The cabbage 

 rose, the damask rose, the laurustinus, the 

 laurel, (Oerasus lauro-cerasusj) the Christmas 

 rose, (Helleborus niger,) the laburnum, the 

 monkshood, the pseony, and the pyramidal 

 bell-flower, (Campanula pyramidalis,) so beau- 

 tiful a pot plant are all brought from Spain, 

 Italy, and Turkey. The Dictamnus albus 

 (or Fraxinella,) found in this district also, 

 abounds in volatile oil to such a degree, that 

 the atmosphere surrounding it becomes im- 

 flammable in hot weather ; and more singular 

 still, if lighted, it will burn without injuring the 

 plant. Passing into Armenia, we come into the 

 native region of the vine. Parrot describes it 

 as the queen of the forests in the woods of 

 Mingreli and Imereti. The stem there attains 



