GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 231 



ornamental, as species of Wind-flower {Anemone), Liver- 

 wort (^Hepaiiea), Pheasant's-eye {Adonis), Columbine 

 {Aquilegia), Virgin's-Bower {Clematis), Larkspur {Del- 

 phinium), Peouy {PcBonia), Buttercup {Banuncuhis), Cle- 

 matis (Fig. 341), etc. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



195. While a few species are cosmopolitan, or to be 

 found in nearly all parts of the world, the great majority 

 of plants are limited to areas of lesser or greater^ extent. 

 This distribution of species, or, as it called, Geogaphical 

 Distribution, is determined by several causes, prominent 

 among which are Temperature, Altitude, Moisture, Soil, 

 etc. This subject engaged the attention of Linnaeus, who 

 said : " The dynasty of the Palms reigns in the warm 

 regions of the globe ; the Tropical Zones are inhabited by 

 whole races of trees and shrubs ; a rich crown of plants 

 surrounds the plains of Southern Europe; armies of green 

 CframinecB occupy Holland and Denmark; numerous tribes 

 of Mosses are contained in Sweden ; but the brownish- 

 colored Algse and the white-gray Lichens alone vegetate 

 in cold, frozen Lapland, the most remote habitable spot of 

 the earth ; the last of the vegetables alone live on the 

 confines of the earth." 



196. That eminent scientist and traveler, Von Humboldt, 

 characterized botanical regions as follows : 



Region of Correnponds to Contains also 



' Arborescent Grasses, Orchids, 



Palms and Bananas Equatokial Zonb.. 



. Pepper, 



Grapes and Figs. Tropical Zone ^ Comjolimlacea, 



^ Yam, 



•{i 



Coffee-tree, Ginger, Cinna- 

 mon, Nutmeg, Mahogany, 

 Logwood, Ebony, Baobab, 

 Bread-Fruit, Pine-Apple, etc. 



