258 THE GEOGRAPHY 



The Sedges, for example, appear to the number of 1 34 

 species in the Flora of France ; in the Flora of Lapland, on 

 the contrary, only to 55. France is therefore unquestion- 

 ably richer in species than Lapland. But the matter stands 

 in a different light when we consider these plants in rela- 

 tion to the total vegetation of the two countries, and since 

 by this means we come to comprehend the characteristics 

 of the region of vegetation, we can only allow this mode of 

 consideration to be valid. France possesses altogether 

 about 4,500 Phanerogamous plants, and the Sedges con- 

 stitute only aVth of these ; the Phanerogamia of Lapland 

 are confined to some 500 species, and the Sedges form ^th 

 of these. The Sedges are therefore a much more essential 

 part of the Lapponic Flora than of the French ; the former 

 has a relatively larger number of species than the latter. 

 This it is alone that is understood by the increase of species 

 in a given direction. 



This, to us inexplicable, mode of distribution of plants, 

 according to species, genera, families, orders and classes, 

 gives rise to certain peculiar regions on the globe, which are 

 characterized by the predominance of certain forms of 

 plants, or by the exclusive occurrence of particular families. 

 These portions of the earth's surface, of which we at 

 present enumerate about 25, are called Geographical 

 Regions of Plants, and to them have been applied the 

 names of the men who have made themselves especially 

 famous by the investigation of these places. 



I have already alluded to the region of Saxifrages and 

 Mosses, or Wahlenberg's region, which extends from the 

 eternal snow of the poles, or the summits of the mountains, 

 down to the limit of the growth of trees, and is distinguished 

 by the absence of arborescent plants, and even of the taller 

 shrubs. Adjoining this comes the great Linnsean region, 



