Tournefort and the Latitudinal and Altitudinal Distribution of Plants

Abstract

TOURNEFORT has generally had the credit of being the first to indicate a parallelism in the latitudinal and altitudinal distribution of plants; yet it would seem without sufficient ground. Linnæus mentions (“Flora Lapponica,” Proleg. n. 14) that certain plants grow on Mount Ararat as well as in Lapland. Later (in 1751), in his “Oratio de Tellure Habitabili” (“Amœnitates Academicæ,” ii. p. 447) he distinctly connects Tournefort with latitudinal and altitudinal distribution of plants, and in such a way as to convey the impression that it was Tournefort's idea. Here follows the paragraph:—“Memoratu dignissimum est, quod refert in Itinerario suo Orientali Tournefortius: reperisse se nimirum apud radices Ararati montis plantas illas quæ in Armenia erant vulgares: aliquantum progressus illas invenit, quas in Italia ante viderat: altius scandenti ofterebantur Vegetabilia circa Lutetiam Parisiorum crescentia: Plantæ Suecicæ erant superiori loco positæ. Sed summum montis locum proxime ad culmen, nive obtectum, plantæ illæ occuparant, quæ sunt alpibus Helveticis et Lapponicis domesticæ.”