THE AZORES 



407 



Here in the lower woods are Myricafaya, Rhamnus latifolius (now very- 

 rare), and Euphorbia mellifera, as well as a representative species 

 of Hypericum (H. grandifolium). In the upper woods grow Laurus 

 canariensis, Persea indica, Ilex perado, Picconia excelsa (now very 

 rare), a representative Tree-Heath {Erica arbor ea), and a species 

 of Vaccinium (V. maderense) closely allied to the Azorean species. 

 The thickets of Tree-Heath and of Vaccinium, in which thrive the 

 two Madeiran Hollies (Ilex perado and /. azevinho), must together 

 with the Laurels and the Fayas often give an appearance very 

 Azorean to the remains of the original Madeiran woods. We will 

 now proceed to discuss briefly the affinities of the other groups of 

 characteristic Azorean flowering plants. 



(B) The Affinities of the Characteristic Plants of the Upland Moors. — 

 Of the thirteen plants named in the list eleven are European and two 

 are endemic. There is no African or North American connection 

 that is not also European. There are seemingly hardly any of these 

 plants in the Canaries and not many in Madeira; and when we 

 reflect that only Thymus serpyllum appears to be represented on 

 the Great Atlas range, namely, on the higher slopes, we are driven 

 to the conclusion that the Azores derived their moor plants from 

 Southern Europe. 



(C) The Affinities of the Characteristic Plants of the Ponds and' 

 Lakes. — The conclusion formed for the plants of the moors applies; 

 here with greater force. All the species are European, and this 

 disposes of any special connection either with Africa or North 

 America. Then, again, few of them have been found either in Madeira 

 or in the Canaries. We must therefore look to South-western Europe 

 for the source of the Azorean aquatic and subaquatic plants. 



(D) The Affinities of the Characteristic Plants of the Sea-coast. — 

 Here, though predominantly European, the species are well repre- 

 sented in North America as well as in the Canaries and Madeira., 

 though, if we exclude Cakile edentula, which was probably introduced 

 in ballast, the only North American species that is non-European 

 is Solidago sempervirens. The case of Campanula vidalii probably 

 raises other issues. As concerns Euphorbia azorica it would be safer 

 to give it a varietal value than to regard it as a distinct species. 



A Comparison of the Zones of Vegetation on the Great 

 Cone of Pico with those on the Peak of Teneriffe and on the 

 Island of Madeira. — The contrasts between the zones of vegetation 

 in the Azores and the Canary Islands can be focussed in a comparison 

 between the great mountain of Pico and the Peak of Teneriffe. 

 The differences between the zones on Teneriffe are so striking that 

 all observers agree fairly well in their accounts of them, whether 

 in the case of Von Buch in the early part of last century or in that 

 of Christ in the latter part of it ; and since the present writer made 

 acquaintance with the plants of the lower two zones during a short 

 visit to the island in the month of February, he is able to approach 

 the subject with some confidence. 



The lowest zone on Teneriffe, the region below the clouds (as 

 Christ designates it), reaches up to 2000 or 2500 feet. It is the 

 African zone with all its strange-looking plants, the region of steppe 



