406 PLANTS, SEEDS, AND CURRENTS 



Juniperus oxycedrus a Great Atlas tree. Not more than 250 miles 

 separate the western extreme of the Atlas Mountains from the Canary 

 Islands, and it would be strange if the woods of that archipelago 

 had not received important accessions from that elevated region. 

 Much of what has been said of the Canarian forest flora would apply 

 also to Madeira. In this case the Yew (Taxus baccata) and the 

 Juniper (J. oxycedrus) could have found their nearest source in the 

 Western Atlas. 



As regards the possibility of the Azorean woods having received 

 some of their European species from North-west Africa as well as 

 from South-west Europe, one may be prepared for much when we 

 reflect on the very singular African connection displayed by one 

 of the most predominant of the shrubs, namely, Myrsine africana. 

 It is a native and often a mountain plant of Inter-tropical and South 

 Africa, Arabia, and Central Asia. It is not even at home in Madeira 

 and the Canary Islands, its nearest known habitats being in Angola 

 and Abyssinia. Its small berries are well suited for dispersal by 

 frugivorous birds; but its isolated occurrence in the Azores is one 

 of the puzzles of the flora. 



But by far the most important feature in the affinities of the 

 characteristic plants of the Azorean woods is indicated in the fact 

 that, whilst mainly non-European, they are largely Canarian and 

 Madeiran. We are not so much concerned here with statistical 

 results, such as are presented at the end of the previous table, but 

 with the fact that with one exception, that of Myrsine africana, 

 all the trees and shrubs that are most abundant are either Canarian 

 or Madeiran, or are presented in one or both of those two groups 

 by closely allied or similar species. They are Canarian in a special 

 sense, since they are for the most part confined to the middle zone 

 or Laurel belt of Teneriffe, which lies between the levels of 2000 and 

 5000 feet. That their general facies was Canarian was recognised 

 by the writer when exploring the Azorean woods, after a previous 

 acquaintance on Teneriffe with the woods situated between 2000 

 and 3000 feet above the sea in the Laguna and Taganana districts. 

 In these Canarian woods flourish the same two Laurels, Laurus 

 canariensis and Per sea indica, the same species of Myrica (M. fay a), 

 a similar Tree-Heath (Erica arborea), a Holly closely allied to or 

 identical with the Azorean Ilex (I. per ado), allied species of Rhamnus, 

 Vaccinium, and Viburnum, and among the climbers the same species 

 of Hedera and Smilax. Excluding the special Canarian element, 

 the list given by Christ of the characteristic trees and shrubs of the 

 Laurel woods of Teneriffe might in most respects pass for one of 

 those of the Azorean woods on the slopes of the great cone of Pico ; 

 but this is a subject that will be again noticed when we compare 

 the zones of vegetation on the slopes of these two great volcanic 

 mountains. 



The Madeiran aspect of the Azorean woods is seen in many ways. 

 Here again, after excluding the special Madeiran element, the principal 

 indigenous trees and shrubs named by Lowe for the lower woods 

 and for the Laurel and Heath zone, 2500 to 5500 feet above the sea, 

 include many of those that give character to the Azorean woods. 



