distinguished from that of the East, because 
of the dissimilarity of their vegetation; 
| the geographical formation and nature of 
the soil appear as if combined to isolate 
certain plants. A new species of a Cape 
Genus (Manulea Canariensis nob.), has 
established itself in the extinct crater of 
Bandama, while Commelina Canariensis 
affects solely the brink of rivulets in the 
- environs of Ciudad and of Terror. At 
| Palma, the Umbilicus Heylandii, (nob.) 
inhabits exclusively the Pine Woods of 
Barlovento ; Sempervivum Goochie (nob.) 
shews itself only in the ravines of the East 
coast; while Bethencourtia Palmensis lies 
hid in the immense depths of the Caldera. 
These peculiarities are still more striking 
at Teneriffe: the Statice arborea, whose 
existence had been only known from a few 
plants of it cultivated in the garden of 
Oratava, grows nowhere but on the rocks 
of Burgado. Another Statice (S. imbri- 
cata, nob.) is confined to a desert islet, si- 
tuated opposite Garachico ; while Gymno- 
carpum decandrum, that highly curious 
. individual of the Paronychiee, first detect- 
ed by Forskiil in Egypt, makes its appear- 
ance on the scorie of the promontory of 
Aguja. The existence of this latter plant 
in the Canaries was first ascertained by 
| : us; we were also the first to gather on 
' these islands Statice pruinosa, f raganum 
. nudatum, &c. &c.; and the statement 
i advanced by M. Decaisne, in his 
: of Mount Sinai, that M. Von Buch had 
- included these species in his catalogue, 
j 
| | 
7 
— 
eo 
ma single spot. Among the latter, 
we may mention that Euphorbia aphylla, 
a though common in the Canaries, at Tene- 
E = grows only near Buenavista ; ; Echium 
the islet of the Great preti ; Pista- 
: s, though very frequent i in the 
island, has never been seen in Tene- 
and | | pulverulentum, again, 
bi Teneriffe, does not grow at 
VEGETATION OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. 
335 
Palma. Examples of this kind might be 
easily multiplied, as will be seen in the 
general and comparative statement that 
we shall give of the Flora of each 
island. 
The existence of these plants in such 
single stations, is as inexplicable as the 
similar instances which we shall relate re- 
specting the forest-trees: these facts of 
vegetable distribution (epirréologie) are 
doubtless influenced by external circum- 
stances, and the different kinds of circum- 
ambient medium in which they are placed. 
The illustrious Ramond meditated fre- 
quently on the mystery involved in the 
original dissemination of vegetables. When 
scaling the lofty and steep peaks of the 
Pyrénées, he was surprised both at the 
existence of some plants which he had not 
expected to see, and at the absence of 
others that he had confidently looked to 
have found there. “ Nature," says he, 
seems alternately indifferent to similarity 
of stations, and to the wide distance that di- 
vides them ; sometimes uniting in parallel 
climates the productions of the most widely 
severed lands, and sometimes refusing this 
conformity of vegetation to those regions 
which seem to possess in common every 
characteristic of soil and of temperature." 
The laws of the distribution of germs over 
the surface of our globe can alone afford 
any explanation of these whimsical anoma- 
ra lies; but these laws are attributable to the 
first causes by which nature secretly works; 
the latter, again, are concealed from us, and 
it may be as long, perhaps, ere we shall be 
enabled to solve the mystery of these spon- 
taneous creations, as to ascertain the rules 
for their fixedness, or their migration. Vain- 
ly might we strive to explain these great 
problems: the creation of plants on the earth 
was anterior to that of man, and to pry into 
times of which there exist no annals, could 
only lead to vague hypothesis. We prefer 
stating facts to dwelling on theories which 
must remain after all absolutely destitute 
of proof, and will therefore proceed to give 
an idea of that vegetable distribution which 
peculiarly claims our attention in the Ca- - 
nary Isles. 
'The amount of plants found on each is- 
