49 
The Vegetation of Japan. 
appearance as they do in the Northern Region. The species 
growing in this sort of locality are comparatively few, such as 
Chrysanthemum Decaisneanum, C. marginatum , Cotyledon spp. 
Sedum spp., Polystichum falcatum, and so forth. 
The forest trees of this region are of great variety. Ever¬ 
green trees occur largely and broad-leaved species are especially 
numerous. In the spring trees and shrubs with conspicuous 
flowers such as different kinds of Azalea, Primus and Pyrus 
decorate the woods on every hand, and in the autumn the foliage 
of various deciduous trees displays gorgeous hues. More species of 
Pinus appear in this region, and Cryptomeria, one of the most 
beautiful trees in Japan, flourishes here. The tall bamboos, mostly 
belonging to the exotic genus Phyllostachys add a special feature 
to the vegetation. They are almost exclusively under cultivation, 
and form dense groves. The largest of them (P. edulis ) exceeds 
30 feet in height, the base of the culm measuring as much as 10 
inches in diameter. 
The uncultivated fields, which are called “ hara ” in general, 
are usually covered with a dense growth of Miscanthus and other 
grasses, amongst which grow small shrubs and thousands of 
herbaceous plants, including the fine Liliurn auratum, that prefer 
dry sunny situations. 
This middle region contains the huge mountain ranges with 
perpetual snow lying in the gulleys, of which I have already 
spoken. The flora of these mountains generally presents zones of 
different vegetation, as we ascend from below to the summit. 
Taking Mount Fuji, which is the highest volcano in Japan, and 
is moreover the world-famous “ peerless mountain ”, as a type, we 
shall find the mountain-flora of a temperate country. This peak 
stands practically on a plain, and if one likes, one can start 
climbing from the very seashore. Supposing we take a village at 
the southern base of the mountain as a starting point, then we 
shall ascend, first of all, a long gentle slope. This is composed of 
lava and cinders, and is almost useless for cultivation. Various 
sorts of grasses, Ruhi, wild roses, and bracken cover this wide area, 
and small shrubs and trees grow in scattered spots. In the summer 
thousands of herbaceous plants with yellow, pink, blue, white or 
purple flowers convert the wilderness into a splendid flower garden, 
where one often comes across many a gorgeous butterfly. Small 
patches of alluvial soil deposited by the action of water are seen here 
and there. In such places many interesting trees such as Abies 
