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PECULIAR LIVING FLORAS.
375
if "~ jo1" ' S O £ 1° 1* z0 '2* 3° 3S To~
% FlorcuTKediterra.
^J?uropea7l/
GET Sahariajis
CD — eftlie/Stepp&s
Fig. 168.—The Mediterranean Flora.
Mediterranean flora is thus a narrow circular band, developed over a linear extent of more than 5000 miles.
Owing to the diversities of the earth's surface, the differences.of temperature and climate, owing also to those secular displacements of continents which result in an equal displacing of floras, all countries are distinguished one from the other by a characteristic vegetation. Scandinavia
has its forests of coniferous trees, England has its oaks and its meadows,
the north of Germany has its lime-trees, Russia its birch-trees, France its
elms and beeches. We can not think of even the Vosges or the Black
Forest without recollecting those long slopes covered with firs; and
when we dream of the Alps, we always see them in our memory with
their clumps of walnut or chestnut trees, their forests of larches, their
rhododendrons and their gentians. In the same way we can not imagine
the beautiful country of Italy without olive-trees, cypresses, and maritime
pines. The terrible monotony of the Sahara is relieved by fresh oases of
date-trees, and toward the southern extremity of the continent, at the
Cape of Good Hope, the harsh contours of the hills and mountains ""are
enlivened by their carpet of heaths and many-colored* flowers. The United States have their trees with marvelous autumn tints, where all shades
are found at the same time, from the most dazzling purple to the darkest
green. The contrast is great between these forests, with varied colors,
and the uniform extent of the prairies on the west, or the deserts of New
Mexico, scattered over with cactuses. In South America, the forests of
araucarias ofthe mountains of Chili and the Brazilian Plateau do not present a less striking contrast with the pampas and their vegetation, so rich
in leguminous plants. At the other extremity of the world, the Austra-
| Title | The ocean, atmosphere, and life |
| Creator | Reclus, Elisée |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1873 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000418 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | PECULIAR LIVING FLORAS. 375 if "~ jo1" ' S O £ 1° 1* z0 '2* 3° 3S To~ % FlorcuTKediterra. ^J?uropea7l/ GET Sahariajis CD — eftlie/Stepp&s Fig. 168.—The Mediterranean Flora. Mediterranean flora is thus a narrow circular band, developed over a linear extent of more than 5000 miles. Owing to the diversities of the earth's surface, the differences.of temperature and climate, owing also to those secular displacements of continents which result in an equal displacing of floras, all countries are distinguished one from the other by a characteristic vegetation. Scandinavia has its forests of coniferous trees, England has its oaks and its meadows, the north of Germany has its lime-trees, Russia its birch-trees, France its elms and beeches. We can not think of even the Vosges or the Black Forest without recollecting those long slopes covered with firs; and when we dream of the Alps, we always see them in our memory with their clumps of walnut or chestnut trees, their forests of larches, their rhododendrons and their gentians. In the same way we can not imagine the beautiful country of Italy without olive-trees, cypresses, and maritime pines. The terrible monotony of the Sahara is relieved by fresh oases of date-trees, and toward the southern extremity of the continent, at the Cape of Good Hope, the harsh contours of the hills and mountains ""are enlivened by their carpet of heaths and many-colored* flowers. The United States have their trees with marvelous autumn tints, where all shades are found at the same time, from the most dazzling purple to the darkest green. The contrast is great between these forests, with varied colors, and the uniform extent of the prairies on the west, or the deserts of New Mexico, scattered over with cactuses. In South America, the forests of araucarias ofthe mountains of Chili and the Brazilian Plateau do not present a less striking contrast with the pampas and their vegetation, so rich in leguminous plants. At the other extremity of the world, the Austra- |
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