170 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



natural fountains. Ferns are very numerous in 

 Jamaica, in New Zealand, in Otaheite, and in St 

 Helena. In this last island they constitute a 

 large proportion of the whole number of native 

 plants. 



Of the maUow family only five species exist 

 in England, all of them very small; whUe in 

 the torrid zone the plants of this family are ex- 

 ceedingly numerous and splendid, many of them 

 attaining to the magnitude of our forest trees. 



The species of palms hitherto discovered, ex- 

 ceed 130 in number. Not only do they excel 

 every other family of plants in beauty and 

 stateliness, but in the luxuriance of their fructi- 

 fication. Amidst the solitudes of the South 

 American forests, in places far remote from human 

 habitation, Humboldt found the ground covered 

 with the frait of these trees in places to the 

 depth of three inches. More than 1 2,000 flowers 

 have been counted in a single sheath of the date 

 palm. The wax palm, which bears on its trunk 

 a varnish of wax, is a native of the Andes. The 

 cocoa nut grows abundantly in the South Sea 

 islands; and the plantain or banana, is dispersed 

 over large tracts of the tropics. The sugar cane, 

 supposed to be a native of China, now grows 

 over all the West India islands, as do also the 

 coffee plant and indigo. The pine apple is con- 

 jectured to be a native of New Spain; but it ap- 

 pears to grow wild in Africa and other parts of 

 the Old World. The caoutchouc, or Indian rub- 

 ber tree, is a native of Brazil. That curious 



Rafflesia Aniuldii. 



flower the Rafflesia Arnoldii, the blossom of 

 which, when fully expanded, measures no less 

 than three feet in diameter, and the petals three 

 quarters of an inch in thickness, is a native of 

 the island of Sumatra. 



In India and the East India islands, grow the 

 greater number of our spicery and aromatic 

 plants, as cinnamon, cloves, camphor, ginger, 

 pepper, nutmegs; as also the gums and resins used 

 in medicine and perfumery. 



Instead of the European grains, maize and 

 rice are the chief products of tropical regions, 

 and other farinaceous substances allied to com, 

 guch as arrow root, sago. 



Tlie bread fruit tree, which bears a substance 

 having the taste and much of the nutritive 



qualities of wheaten bread, is a native of the 

 South Sea islands. 



Humboldt has given a sketch of the vegeta- 

 tion of the Andes, commencing at the level of 

 the ocean and extending to the highest summits. 

 A condensed view of this sketch may serve as a 

 general illustration of the distribution of plants 

 as influenced by climate, arising from altitude 

 above the sea level. 



1. Tropical Zone or Region of Palms. This 

 region stretches from the level of the ocean to 

 the height of 613 toises. Here flourish the 

 magnificent family of palms, odoriferous and 

 balsamic plants, the family of scitaminem, 

 laurels, mimosa, the sugar cane, coffee plant, and 

 indigo. 



2. Temperate Zone. Above the region of 

 palms is that of the tree-ferns and cinchonas, 

 the latter of which yield the diiferent kinds 

 of Peruvian bark, the caoutchouc tree, cam- 

 phor shrubs, passion flower, and a variety of 

 beautiful and useful plants. At 1330 to 1340 toises 

 is the region of oaks. Here also grow wheat, 

 barley, and oats, and the ft-uit trees of Europe. 



3. Alpine Zone. From 1026 to 2103 toises, 

 extends the region of alpine plants. Here flourish 

 the ranunculi, gentians, and a variety of hai-dy 

 plants. At an elevation of 2103 the alpine 

 plants give place to the graminea;, of which the 

 region extends to 23GO toises. 



4. Arctic Zone. This region may be so called, 

 for at the height of 2360 toises all flowering 

 plants disappear, and lichens alone clothe the 

 rocks and ground. Some of these, indeed, ap- 

 pear to vegetate under the snow, for at 2850 

 toises, near the summit of Chimborazo the um- 

 bilicaria pustulata, and verriicaria geographica, 

 are seen growing on a shelf of rock; and these 

 were the last organized substances adhering to 

 the soil at so gi-eat a height, which Humboldt 

 and his companions were able to detect. 



6. Snowy Region. The last region is that 

 within the line of perpetual congelation, whence 

 eternal ice and snow hold theu- dominion.* 



Mr H. Watson has portioned out the island 

 of Great Britain into three regions, each of 

 which are subdivided into two zones, thus : 



I. Woody rpgion, 



II. Barren region, 



III. Mossy region, 



( 1 . Agricultural zone 

 { 2. Upland zone 



( 3. Moorland zone 

 \ 4. Subalpino zone 



( S. Alpine zone 

 ( 6. Snowy zone. 



l.Thewoodyregionextends over at least three- 

 fourths of the whole surface of Britain. In 

 England all the south-eastern dictrict, and a very 



* See illustrative diagram, Plate II. where the moun- 

 tain on therighl corresponds to this description. 



