92 
tember and reaped in July. We found 
the lowest fields of Rye at Zaffarano, 3,200 
feet, the highest at Zoccolaro 5,480. Even 
in this region there is a remarkable paucity 
of species of plants. The ground below 
the trees is thickly clothed with our com- 
mon Brake (Pteris aquilina), which, in 
many places, almost banishes every other 
plant. It is met with from the sea shore, 
on the North coast, to the height of 5,600 
feet, and the Sicilians derive no further 
benefit from it than burning it down or 
ploughing it in, thus rendering the ground 
fit for the Rye without any other manure. 
Constant accompaniments of the Pteris, on 
Etna, are the pretty Crocus odorus, (Bi- 
vona), Crocus longiflorus, Raf. and Cycla- 
men Neapolitanum, whose beautiful blue 
and red flowers, late in autumn, charm the 
eye for a long time after the yellow foliage 
of the Brake has proclaimed the approach 
of winter. Still higher up in this region, 
is Sternbergia lutea, which M.Gemmellaro 
found at 4,300 feet; Asphodelus luteus at 
5,650, Potentilla Calabra, Gypsophila ri- 
gida, Centaurea cinerea, Achillea ligus- 
tica, Tolpis quadriaristata, Apargia his- 
pida and autumnalis, Thymus Acinos, Sa- 
tureja Greca, with its numerous varieties, 
which, by many Botanists, are considered 
às so many proper species: Paronychia 
Hispanica, and Herniaria microcarpa. 
M. Gemmellaro gathered Croton tincto- 
rium, even at the elevation of 5,090, at the 
Grotto della Capre. Besides the plants 
now enumerated, all those found in the 
following region are also seen here. 
3. The alpine region. This extends 
. from 6,200 to 8,950 feet.. The Juniperus 
hemispherica ascends from the woody re- 
gion of 4,700 feet as far as 7,100; and it is 
the same with Berberis vulgaris (B. Et- 
nensis, Presl), which we first noted at 
. 9,000 above the sea. But the vegetation 
of this region acquires its most peculiar 
feature from the presence of Astragalus 
. 
wdron which grow on 
the Alps, and the Spartium nubigenum of 
ON THE VEGETATION OF ETNA. 
the Canary Islands. It forms thick semi- - 
hemispherical tufts, from two to two feet 
and a half high, and a diameter of four or 
five feet, with all the appearance of a soft 
cushion; but woe to the traveller who shall 
be tempted to recline on it, as he will cer- 
tainly be grievously wounded by the prickly 
peduncles of its leaves! This shrub I have 
already noticed as first seen growing singly — 
at 3,200 and 4,800; but above the woody 
region it becomes the prevailing plant, 
and, according to Gemmellaro, is lost at an 
elevation of 7,940 feet: we saw none of it 
higher than 7,500. To the same height 
rises Tanacetum vulgare, which is also ra- 
ther plentiful in the woody region at 3,000 
feet. Higher up no more shrubby plants _ 
are found; the only species that grow, 
though sparingly, on the broad and barren 
top of Etna, are Saponaria depressa, Ce- 
rastium tomentosum, Cardamine thalie- — 
troides, Viola gracilis, var. Etnensis of 
Gussone, Galium Etnicum (Bivona), Ses- 
leria nitida, Scleranthus marginatus 
(Guss. ), from 5,000 to 8,000; Seriola uni- 
Jlora (Robertia tarazacoides) as far as 
8,600, Anthemis punctata and Rumez scu- 
tatus, 200 feet higher still, at the Cima 
della Val del Bove. The first of these 
scarcely occurs lower down than 5,100, 
and is most plentiful at about 6,000. The 
Rumez scutatus is common on all the lava 
streams, descending even to the coast and. 
showing no change, in consequence of its — 
lofty place of growth, except that its foliage 
assumes a greyish hue of green, and a - 
downy surface, which are not sufficient - 
characters to constitute it a species, as is 
done by Presl, who calls it Rumex Efnen- . 
sts. On tlie Alps this plant first becomes” 
plentiful at 5,000 feet. At length, the ele- 
vation being 8,850, we lose the Senecio 
chrysanthemifolius, which lingers up to 
the highest point where any vegetation can 
be traced upon Etna; it varies with entire 
and divided leaves, which Presl has con- 
stituted two Species: both of them, how- 
ever, may be easily traced back to the 
original type. Here every vestige of vege- 
tation disappears, though, during the sum- 
Roe EET 
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C—ÁÀ 
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ipi ai et eta 
