Scientific Intelligence, — Botany. 



381 



BOTANY. 



31. Is the Flora of the Globe a distinct and independent one ? 

 — While there are evident and distinct features in the plants which 

 constitute the floras of different parts of Britain, there are many 

 difficulties to be overcome before we can adopt the speculative views 

 of Forbes. The connection between the Tertiary and the present 

 epoch is not made out as far as the species of plants are concerned, 

 and we are disposed to look upon the existing flora of the globe as 

 a distinct and independent one. Schouw differs from Forbes in his 

 explanation of the flora of the British Islands. He does not believe 

 in the migration and geological changes to which Forbes alludes. 

 He thinks that the west and south-west coast of Britain and Ireland 

 had at first a mild climate, especially in winter, and that in conse- 

 quence, plants were produced there common to the analogous 

 climates of Spain and the south of France ; while the Scotch and 

 English mountains were distinguished throughout by a polar 

 climate, and produced nearly the same vegetation as the Lapland 

 and Scandinavian mountains. — (Professor Balfour's Class-Book of 

 Botany, Part II., pp. 10-33.) 



32. Physiognomy of Vegetation in different Quarters of the 

 Globe. — In this department of botanical geography we consider 

 plants according to the distribution of forms, marking the predomi- 

 nance of this or that form of plants by the absolute mass of its 

 individuals, or by the impression it makes from the character given 

 to the flora. The prevalence of a single form will often produce a 

 much greater physiognomic effect than the number and variety of 

 the floral productions. Hind says that a general physiognomic 

 impression is sometimes conveyed by the prevalence of colour. 

 Yellow colours, according to him, abound on the tropical mountain- 

 plains in autumn, while blue colours prevail in subtropical regions. 

 In northern latitudes and in Alpine districts, white flowers are 

 more common than on the plains. He makes the following state- 

 ments as to the proportion of colours in the flowers of different 

 countries : 



• 



Cyanic. 



Xanthic. 



White. 



Central America, . 



12 



30 



8 



Sandwich Islands, . 



12 



31 



7 



Alashka, .... 



26 



13 



11 



California, .... 



25 



19 



6 



New Guinea, 



12 



23 



15 



Hong-Kong, . . . 



13 



27 



10 



— [Professor Balfour's Class-Book of Botany, Part II. p. 

 99.) 



VOL. LVI. NO. CXII. — APRIL 1854. 2 C 



