16* 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. 



PART r. 



M. Dunant possesses, on his grounds at Secheron, a Quercus Flex, which is 

 very fine for the country. 



At the entrance of the botanic garden there is an old Aildnttis glanduWsa, 

 much older than the garden. It measured, in June, 1833, at the level of the 

 soil, 7ft. Sin. in circumference, and was between 43 ft. and 50 ft high. The 

 unpleasant smell of its flowers is perceived at half a furlong's distance, and 

 its numerous and troublesome suckers rise all round, as far as 40 ft. or 30 ft. 

 from the tree. 



The trees contained in the botanic garden itself are not old, as the garden 

 has not been estabhshed more than 17 years. Among the rarest and best- 

 grown trees which have been planted from 15 to 17 years, we may mention 

 the following : — A Photinia serrulata, spreading into branches from its base, 

 and about 12^ ft. high; a Magnoh'fl acuminata, about the same height, with a 

 trunk 7 in. in circumference; a kolreuteria, 15ft. high, with a trunk 13 in. in 

 circumference ; and a tulip tree, 40 ft. high, 3 ft. 3i in. in circumference ; A'cev 

 striatum, 24ft. high, and 1ft. 7Jin. in circumference; ^'sculus flava and 

 rubicunda, 30ft. high, and IJft. in circumference; Pavia hybrida, 20ft. 

 high, and 14|in. in circumference ; Cerasus serotina, 35 ft. high, and 2 ft. 4in. in 

 circumference; ikfespilus SmithMDec.,20ft.high,and I'ft. Sin.in circumference j 

 Cratse^'gus nigra, about the same height, and 1 ft. 2^ in. in circumference ; 

 i?ipp6phae 7-hamnoides, and JSlseagnus angustifolia, 12 ft. high, and 1 ft. in 

 circumference; Planera crenata, 35ft. high, and 1ft. 9 in. in circumference; 

 Populus angulata, which sometimes retains its leaves till Christmas, 60 ft. high, 

 and 4 ft. in girt ; ^'Inus cordata, 35 ft. high, H ft. in girt ; Quercus alba, 18 ft. 

 high, and 2ft. 1 in. in girt; ./unlperus thurifera, 15 ft. high, and 1 ft. in girt; 

 Pinus Larlcio, 25 ft. high, and 2 ft. 4 in. in girt ; Pinus Miighus, 20 ft. high, 

 and 2 ft. 5 in. in girt ; and iarix europse^a, the branches of which hang in a 

 very singular manner, is 30 ft. high, and 2 ft. 5 in. in circumference near to 

 the base of the trunk. All these measurements were taken at such a height 

 from the ground as seemed most likely to give the true dimensions of the 

 trunk, and to avoid the thickness often produced by the graft, or at the base ; 

 and these measures were all taken by M. Alphonse De Candolle, in October, 

 1835. It is to be wished that a register of similar measurements were opened 

 in every botanic garden, in order to verify the date of the introduction, and 

 the rate of growth, of every species, according to the diverse physical cir- 

 cumstances of each locality. <^A. De C. Nov., 1835.) 



Sect. VII. Of the Lidigejious and Foreign Trees and Shrubs of 

 Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean Islands. 



Italy, having been, during the Roman empire and the dark ages, the 

 centre of civilisation in Europe, would, doubtless, draw from all other coun- 

 tries whatever of their productions was suitable to its climate. Hence the 

 ligneous flora of Italy includes almost all the trees and shrubs indigenous 

 to Greece, Spain, and the Mediterranean islands, which are in any way remark- 

 able for their use or beauty. In the following enumeration, taken from 

 Tenore's Flora NeapoUtana, Bertoloni's Flora Italica, Savi's Botanicon Etrus- 

 cum, Smith's Prodroimis of Sibthorp's Flora Grcsca, Brotero's Flora Lusi- 

 tanica, Gussone's Florce Sicid<s Prodromus, and Hogg's Ohseroatmis on the 

 Clasdcal Plants of Sicily, we have included all the ligneous plants which are 

 indigenous, or apparently so, in these countries, and which are not included 

 in the indigenous flora of Britain. Those which are believed to be peculiar 

 to any one or two of the countries, have the name of such countries following 

 the name of the plant. 



^RaniinciddcecB. Clematis cirrhosa, Viticella, campaniflora (Portugal), Plam- 

 mula, Flammula var. rotundifolia Dec. (Naples). 



Berberidege. Berberis cretica (Greece). - 



Crucifer(B. /beris sempervirens (Greece); .^lyssura rupestre (Naples), ar- 

 g6iteum (Etruria). 



