﻿THE MACCHIE OF THE NEAPOLITAN COAST 



REGION. 



J. Y. Bergen. 



(with four figures) 



It has occurred to the writer, after some two years of obser- 

 vation of the xerophilous shrubs and undershrubs of the territory 

 surrounding the bay of Naples and of the islands of Ischia and 

 Capri, that a brief account of this peculiar flora and of its condi- 

 tions of existence might interest American botanists. Most of the 

 literature of the subject is to be found in Italian botanical period- 

 icals, or in monographs not readily accessible to the American 

 student, and the vegetation in question is well worthy of study, 

 since it constitutes a series of well-defined plant societies of a 

 pronounced, though not extraordinarily xerophytic, character. 



The soils of the mainland near Naples generally consist of 

 weathered tufa, of decomposed volcanic scoria and pumice, or 

 of disintegrated lavas of many kinds. Much decomposed veg- 

 etable matter is often present. As a rule the soils are deep, 

 warm, and fertile loams, though occasionallyfeldspathic rocks 

 are found to have been reduced by the action of steam impreg- 

 nated with sulphur dioxide to a white clay, which is rather 

 sterile. Yellow brick clays sometimes occur. 



The soils of Ischia are in general not dissimilar to those of 

 the mainland. Capri is underlaid by a moderately pure lime- 

 stone, which outcrops in many places, but is usually covered 

 with a somewhat shallow clayey loam, derived in the main from 

 the decomposition of the subjacent limestone. 



The climate in the neighborhood of Naples is characterized 

 by mild rainy winters, during which there are few frosts at sea 

 level, and long, hot, and dry summers. The greatest vegetative 

 activity is therefore found in the months from October to May 

 inclusive, and many annual plants complete their growth and 

 blossom at some time during the period from November to 

 April inclusive. Areas which are tenanted mainly by annual 



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