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ture in gardens, fields, or timber-plantations; and indirectly by acclimating and final naturalisation of many species, by the influence of winds and birds in scattering their seeds. The vine and the fig are not indigenous to France, but are now naturalised there by birds. In like manner the orange is naturalised in the south of Italy. Many herbaceous plants of the Levant are naturalised both in France and Britain; some, as the cabbage, cherry, and apple, were probably naturalised during the subjection of England to the Romans. The narrow-leaved elm was brought from the Holy Land during the crusades. Phaseolus vulgaris, and impatiens balsamina were brought originally from India; and datura stramonium, which is now naturalised in Europe, was brought originally from India or Abyssinia. Buckwheat and most species of corn and peas came also from the East, and along with them several plants found among corn only, such as centaurea cyanus, agrostenima githago, raphanus raphanistrum, and myagrum sativum. The country from whence the most valuable grasses migrated is not known. Bruce says he found the oat wild in Abyssinia, and wheat and millet have been found in a wild state in hilly situations in the East Indies. Rye and the potatoe were not known to the Romans. The country of the former Humboldt declares to be totally

unknown.

1735. The greatest refinement in culture consists in the successful formation of artificial climates for the culture of tropical plants in cold regions. Many vegetables, natives of the torrid zone, as the pine apple, the palm, &c. cannot be acclimated in temperate countries. But by means of hot-houses of different kinds they are grown even on the borders of the frozen zone to the highest degree of perfection; and in Britain some of the tropical fruits, as the pine and melon, are brought to a greater size and better flavor than in their native habitations. Casting our eyes on man, and the effects of his industry, we see him spread on the plains and sides of mountains, from the frozen ocean to the equator, and every where he wishes to assemble around him whatever is useful and agreeable of his own or of other countries. The more difficulties to surmount, the more rapidly are developed the moral faculties; and thus the civilisation of a people is almost always in an inverse ratio with the fertility of the soil which they inhabit. What is the reason of this? Humboldt asks. Habit and the love of the site natal.

SECT. IV. Characteristic or Picturesque Distribution of Vegetables.

1736. The social and antisocial habits of plants is one of their most remarkable characteristics. Like animals they live in two classes: the one class grows alone and scattered, as solanum dulcamara, lychnis dioica, polygonum bistorta, anthericum liliago, &c. The other class unites in society, like ants or bees, covers immense surfaces, and excludes other species, such as fragaria vesca, vaccinium myrtillus, polygonum aviculare, aira canescens, pinus sylvestris, &c. Barton states that the mitchella repens is the plant most extensively spread in North America, occupying all the ground between the 28° and 69° of north latitude. The arbutus uva ursi, extends from New Jersey to the 72° of latitude. On the contrary, gordonia, franklinia, and dionæa muscipula are found isolated in small spots. Associated plants are more common in the temperate zones than in the tropics, where vegetation is less uniform and more picturesque. In the temperate zones, the frequency of social plants, and the culture of man, has rendered the aspect of the country comparatively monotonous. Under the tropics, on the contrary, all sorts of forms are united; thus cypresses and pines are found in the forests of the Andes of Quindiu, and of Mexico; and bananas, palms, and bamboos in the valleys. (fig. 243.) But green meadows

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and the season of spring are wanting in the south, for nature has reserved gifts for every region. "The valleys of the Andes," Humboldt observes, "are ornamented with bananas

and palms; on the mountains are found oaks, firs, barberries, alders, brambles, and a crowd of genera believed to belong only to countries of the north. Thus the inhabitant of the equinoctial regions views all the vegetable forms which nature has bestowed around him on the globe. Earth developes to his eyes a spectacle as varied as the azure vault of heaven, which conceals none of her constellations." The people of Europe do not enjoy the same advantage. The languishing plants, which the love of science or luxury cultivates in our hot-houses, present only the shadow of the majesty of equinoctial vegetation; but by the richness of our language, we paint these countries to the imagination, and individual man feels a happiness peculiar to civilization.

1737. The features of many plants are so obvious and characteristic, as to strike every general observer. The scitaminea, tree-heaths, firs, and pines, mimosa, climbers, cacti, grasses, lichens, mosses, palms, equisitaceæ, arums, pothos, dracontium, &c. the chaffyleaved plants, malvaceæ, orchidea, liliaceæ, &c. form remarkable groups distinguishable at first sight. Of these groups, the most beautiful are the palms, scitamineæ, and liliaceæ, which include the bamboos and plantains, the most splendid of umbrageous plants.

1738. The native countries of plants may often be discovered by their features in the same manner as the national distinctions which are observable in the looks and color of mankind, and which are effected chiefly by climate. Asiatic plants are remarkable for their superior beauty; African plants for their thick and succulent leaves, as in the case of the cacti; and American plants for the length and smoothness of their leaves, and for a sort of singularity in the shape of the flower and fruit. The flowers of European plants are but rarely beautiful, a great portion of them being amentaceous. Plants indigenous to polar and mountainous regions are generally low, with small compressed leaves; but with flowers large in proportion. Plants indigenous to New Holland are distinguishable for small and dry leaves, that have often a shrivelled appearance. In Arabia they are low and dwarfish; in the Archipelago they are generally shrubby and furnished with prickles; while in the Canary Islands many plants, which in other countries are merely herbs, assume the port of shrubs and trees. The shrubby plants of the Cape of Good Hope and New Holland exhibit a striking similarity, as also the shrubs and trees of the northern parts of Asia and America, which may be exemplified in the platanus orientalis of the former, and in platanus occidentalis of the latter, as well as in fagus syl vatica and fagus latifolia, or acer cappadocium and acer saccharinum; and yet the herbs and undershrubs of the two countries do not in the least correspond. "A tissue of fibres," Humboldt observes, "more or less loose vegetable colors more or less vivid, according to the chemical mixture of their elements, and the force of the solar rays, are some of the causes which impress on the vegetables of each zone their characteristic features."

1739. The influence of the general aspect of vegetation on the taste and imagination of a people-the difference in this respect between the monotonous oak and pine forests of the temperate zones, and the picturesque assemblages of palms, mimosas, plantains, and bamboos of the tropics—the influence of the nourishment, more or less stimulant, peculiar to different zones, on the character and energy of the passions: - these, Humboldt observes, unite the history of plants with the moral and political history of

man.

SECT. V. Systematic Distribution of Vegetables.

1740. The distribution of plants, considered in respect to their systematic classifications, is worthy of notice. The three grand systematic divisions of plants are acotyledoner, dicotyledoneæ, and monocotyledoneæ. A simplification of this division considers plants as agamous, or phanerogamous, that is, without or with visible sexes.

1741. Plants of visible seres. Taking the globe in zones, the temperate contain part of all the phanerogamous or visible sexual species of plants. The equinoctial countries contain nearly , and Lapland only a part.

1742. Plants with the sexual parts invisible or indistinct.

Taking the whole surface

of the globe, the agamous plants, that is, mosses, fungi, fuci, &c. are to the phanerogama or perfect plants, nearly as 1 to 7; in the equinoctial countries as 1 to 5; in the temperate zones as 2 to 5; in New Holland as 2 to 11; in France as 1 to 2; in Lapland, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland, they are as I to 1, or even more numerous than the phanerogamous plants. Within the tropics, agamous plants grow only on the summits of the highest mountains. In several of the islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, having a Flora of phanerogamous plants exceeding 200 species, R. Brown did not observe a single moss.

1743. In the whole globe, the monocotyledoneæ, including the grasses, liliaceæ, scitamenea, &c. are to the whole of the perfect plants as 1 to 6; in the temperate zones (between 36° and 52°,) as 1 to 4; and in the polar regions as 1 to 20. In Germany, the monocotyledoneæ are to the total number of species as 1 to 4; in France as 1 to

43; in New Holland the three grand divisions of plants, beginning with the acotyledoneæ, are nearly as 1, 24, and 74.

1744. Dicotyledone. In the whole globe, the monocotyledoneæ are estimated, by R. Brown, from Persoon's Synopsis, (Gen. Rem. on the Bot. of Terr. Aust. 1814.) to be to the dicotyledoneæ as 2 to 11; or with the addition of undescribed plants, as 2 to 9. From the equator to 30° of north latitude, they are as 1 to 5. In the higher latitudes a gradual diminution of dicotyledoneæ takes place, until in about 60° north latitude and 50° south latitude they scarcely equal half their intertropical proportions. The ferns in the temperate regions are to the whole number of species as 1, 2, and 5; that is, in the polar regions as 1, in the temperate countries as 2, and in the intertropical regions as 5. In France, ferns form part of the phanerogamous plants; in Germany; in Lapland ਲੁੱਕ

1745. The natural orders of perfect or phanerogamous plants are variously distributed in different countries. The following Table gives a general view of the relative proportions of several natural orders of perfect plants in France, Germany, and Lapland.

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1746. The most universal plants are the agamous families. Their germs are the only ones which nature developes spontaneously in all climates. The polytrychum commune (fig. 244.) grows in all latitudes; in Europe and under the equator; on high mountains and on a level with the sea; in short, wherever there is shade and humidity. No phanerogamous plants have organs sufficiently flexible to accommodate themselves in this manner to every zone. The alsine media, fragaria vesca, and solanum nigrum, have been supposed to enjoy this advantage; but all that can be said is, that these plants are very much spread, like the people of the race of Caucasus, in the northern part of the ancient continent. (Humboldt.)

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1747. The plants chiefly employed in human economy differ in different climates and countries; but some, as the cereal grasses, are in universal use; and others, as the banana and plantain, only in the countries which produce them.

1748. The bread-corn of the temperate climates is chiefly wheat and maize; of the hot climates rice, and of the coldest climates barley.

1749. The edible roots of the old world are chiefly the yam, sweet potatoe, onion, carrot, and turnip; of the new the potatoe.

1750. The oleraceous herbs of temperate climates are chiefly the brassica family, and other crucifera. In hot climates pot-herbs are little used. Legumes, as the pea, bean, and kidney-bean, are in general use in most parts of the old world.

1751. The fruits of the northern hemisphere belong chiefly to the orders of Pomaceæ, Amygdalineæ, Grossulareæ, Rosacea, Viticeæ, and Amentaceæ.

1752. The fruits of the East Indies belong chiefly to Myrtaceæ, Guttifereæ, Auranteæ, Musacea, Palma, Cucurbitaceæ, Myristiceæ, &c.

1753. The fruits of China are chiefly of the orders of Aurantes, Myrtacea, Rhamneæ, Pomacea, Amygdaliner, Palmæ, &c.

1754. The fruits of Africa belong to Sapotea, Palma, Chrysobalaneæ, Guttifereæ, A pocineæ, Papilionacea, Musaceae, and Cucurbitaceae.

1755. The fruits of South America belong to Annonaceæ, Myrtacea, Terebintace, Myristiceæ, Palma, Bromeliaceae, Sapotea, Laurinæ, Chrysobalaneæ, Musacea, Papilionaceæ, and Passifloreæ.

1756. The most showy herbaceous flowers of the temperate zone belong to Rosacea, Liliaceæ, Irideæ, Ericinæ, Ranunculaceæ, Primulaceæ, Caryophylleæ, Gentianeæ, &c. Those of the torrid zone belong to the Scitamineæ, Amaryllideæ, Bignoniacea, Melastomaceæ, Magnoliaceæ, Papilionacea, Apocineæ, &c.

1757. The most useful timber-trees of temperate climates are of the pine or fir kind; of warm climates the palm and bamboo. The universal agricultural order is the Gramineæ.

SECT. VII. Arithmetical Distribution of Vegetables.

1758. The total number of species of plants known, amounted in 1820 to about 44,000, of which 38,000 have been described. According to Humboldt and R. Brown, they are thus distributed in Europe 7000; in temperate Asia 1500; in equinoctial Asia and the adjacent islands 4500; in Africa 3000; in temperate America, in both hemispheres, 4000; in equinoctial America 13,000; in New Holland and the islands of the Pacific Ocean 5000;-in all 38,000. In Spitzbergen there are 30 species of perfect plants; in Lapland 584; in Iceland 533; in Sweden 1299; in Scotland 900; in Britain 1400; in Brandenburg 2000; in Piedmont 2800; in Jamaica, Madagascar, and the coast of Coromandel, from 4000 to 5000. It is now (anno 1824) believed that there may be from 100,000 to 200,000 species of plants. Such is the progress of ideas.

SECT. VIII.

Distribution of the British Flora, indigenous and exotic. 1759. About thirteen thousand plants compose the Hortus Britannicus, or such species as admit of cultivation. Mosses, Fungi, Fuci, Algæ, and Lichens are, with a few exceptions, excluded.

1760. The natives of Britain which enter into this Hortus are upwards of 1400 species; but the native British Flora contains in all above 3300 species. Of these there are about 1437 cotyledonous plants, and nearly 1893 of imperfect, or of what are termed, in the Jussieuean system, acotyledoneæ.

1761. Of the cotyledonous or perfect plants, 182 are trees or shrubs; 855 are perennials; 60 are biennials; and 340 annuals, Of the trees and shrubs, 47 are trees; 25 above thirty feet high, and the remainder under thirty, but above 10 feet high. Of the perennials 83 are grasses; the next greatest number belong to the two first orders of the class Pentandria; the next to the Syngenesia; and the third to Monœcia Triandria, or the Cyperaceae of Jussieu, comprehending chiefly the genus Carer. Most of the biennials belong to the first order of the 19th class, and the two first orders of Pentandria. There are 41 annual grasses; 52 annuals belong to the two first orders of Pentandria; and the next greatest number of annuals to Diadelphia Decandria, which includes the trefoils and vetches.

1762. Of the Cryptogameæ, or imperfect plants, 800 are fungi; 18 algæ, 373 lichens; 85 hepatica; 460 musci; and 130 ferns; according to an estimate (in Rees's Cyclop. art. Plant, understood to be made by Sir J. E. Smith.

1763. In regard to the distribution of the perfect plants as to elevation, little or nothing has been yet generalised on the subject. In regard to soils, 276 are found in bogs, and marshy or moist places; 140 on the sea-shores; 128 in cultivated grounds; 121 in meadows and pastures; 78 in sandy grounds; 76 in hedges and on hedge-banks; 70 on chalky and other calcareous soils; 64 on heaths; 60 in woods; 30 on walls; 29 on rocks; and 19 on salt-marshes;-reckoning from Galpine's Compend. Fl. Brit.

1764. In the distribution of the Cryptogameæ, the ferns prevail in rocky places and wastes; most of the musci, hepatici, and lichens, on rocks and trees; most of the fuci and alga in the sea; and of the fungi, on decaying vegetable bodies, especially trunks of trees, manures, &c.

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1765. In respect to geographical distribution, the mountainous and hilly districts of England and South Wales are most prolific; the greatest number, according to extent of surface, are found in England and Wales, and the smallest number in Ireland.

1766. The genera of the native British Flora enter into 23 classes and 71 orders of the former, and 8 classes and 121 orders of the latter system.

1767. With respect to the uses or application of the native Flora, there are about 18 sorts of wild fruits which may be eaten, exclusive of the wild apple and pear; but only the pear, apple, plum, currant, raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry, are gathered wild, or cultivated in gardens. There are about 20 boiling culinary plants natives, including the cabbage, sea-kale, asparagus, turnip, carrot, and parsnep. There are about the same

number of spinaceous plants, salading, and pot and sweet herbs, which may be used, but of which but a few only enter into the dietetics of modern cooks. There are three fungi, in general use, the mushroom, truffle, and morel; and various others, as well as about eight species of sea weeds, are occasionally eaten. There are about six native plants cultivated as florists' flowers, including the primula elatior, crocus, narcissus, dianthus, &c. Nearly 100 grasses, clovers, and leguminous plants are used in agriculture, or serve in their native places of growth as pasturage for cattle. Two native plants, the oat and the big, or wild barley, are cultivated as farinaceous grains. Most of the trees are used in the mechanical arts, for fuel, or for tanning: one plant, the flax, not an aboriginal native, but now naturalised, affords fibre for the manufacture of linen cloth. Various plants yield colored juices, which may be, and in part are, used in dyeing; and some hundred species have been, and a few are still used in medicine. About 20 cotyledonous plants, and above 50 cryptogameæ, chiefly fungi, are, or are reputed to be, poisonous, both to men and cattle.

1768. By the artificial Flora of Britain, we understand such of the native plants as admit of preservation or culture in gardens; and such exotics as are grown there, whether in the open ground, or in different descriptions of plant habitations. The total number of species which compose this Flora, or Hortus Britannicus, as taken from Sweet's catalogue, is about 13,000, including botanists' varieties, and excluding agamous plants. This is nearly a fourth part of the estimated Flora of our globe, and may be considered in regard to the countries from whence the plants were introduced; the periods of their introduction; their obvious divisions; their systematic classification; their garden habitations; their application; and their native habitations.

1769. With respect to the native countries of the artificial Flora or Hortus Britannicus, of 970 species the native countries are unknown; the remaining 12,000 species were first introduced from the following countries:

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1770. With respect to the dates of the introduction of the exotics from those different countries, the dates of the introduction of none are known before the time of Gerard, in Henry VIII.'s reign. From this author and Trew, it appears that 47 species were introduced on or before 1548, including the apricot, fig, pomegranate, &c. Those previously introduced, of which the dates are unknown, may be considered as left here by the Romans, or afterwards brought over from France, Italy, and Spain, by the ecclesiastics,

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