Ye aa +a i Me s BP od SD Pr of 
: CAs Per = She! 2 ma e ~ 5 "7 
. . vi ‘ «ne 
. ae Tee ; ‘ ‘ , 
“Botanical Geography. ==> AAS 
10. The Cape Region. 
The interior elevated plains of the Cape of Good Hope, 
which lie south of the Orange River, slope downwards through 
rocky mountains or precipitous descents to the level of the 
sea. The climate may be compared to that of the elevated 
plains of Spain. In both districts an extraordinary variety 
of vegetation is promoted by the unequal distribution of — 
_ temperature, of the annual rainfall, and of the humidity of 
the air.. The highest terrace (about 1,000 metres above the 
level of the sea), the Roggefeld, is at times completely bare, 
and at other times is covered only by small compositous 
bushes. The middle terrace, the Karroo-plain (700 metres), 
is also clothed with a uniform steppe-vegetation ; the so- 
called ‘ rhinoceros-bush’ (.Stoebe rhinocerotis) belonging to the 
Composite, covers the widest tracts of country ; it is only 
in August that the soil becomes clothed for a few weeks with 
a luxuriant green, carpeted with numberless flowers, belong- 
ing to the Composite, Liliaceze, Mesembryanthemacee, &c. 
From the Karroo-plain to the coast the character of the vege- 
tation is determined by the evergreen shrubs, constituting 
what is called the ‘bush.’ This is perhaps the richest spot 
on the whole earth in species of plants, and is especially the _ 
paradise of flowers. -Ericaceze, Proteaceze, Euphorbiaces, _ 
_ Stapelias, Liliaceze, Irideze, and ‘ everlastings’ ( Helichrysum, 
belonging to the Composite) are the mcst conspicuous ele- _ 
ments of the vegetation. Especially noteworthy is the 
Priontum or palmet (Juncacez), the stems of which grow | 
so closely crowded together that they detain and impede 
the courses of rivers like wears. 
- 11. Lhe Australian Region. 
Northern Australia has a tropical climate with a summer 
rainy period. In the sub-tropical zone, from 19° to 29° S. lat., 
is a deser: belt in which the reign of the trade-winds is un- 
interrupted. The climate of South Australia may be com- | 
_ pared to that of the Mediterranean, the rainfall being limited — 
