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On the Habitats and Frequencies of Some Madeira Bryophytes

1918; Wiley; Volume: 6; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2255305

1365-2745

Eleonora Armitage,

Lichen and fungal ecology

Madeira, one of the Atlantic Islands, lies 320 miles (circa 530 km.) off the coast of Africa; Funchal, on the south, is situated in lat. 320 37' N., and long. 170 W. The island is about thirty miles long and twelve broad (50 x 20 km.), and is the top of a huge volcanic mountain rising from the bed of the ocean which here attains a depth of 13,000 ft (3,900 m.). The gradient is extremely steep everywhere, the island rising as one mountain block, culmiinating in a number of peaks from 5000 to 6000 ft (circa 1540-1840 m.) high at a distance of only six rmiles from the sea. The island is chiefly composed of a dark coloured basalt. Where the rock decomposes, forming the mountain soil, it is called cascalha. The rock sections on the lofty sea-cliffs, some of them reaching 1900 ft sheer out of the sea, are well seen from the small steamers plying from one port to another. A much contorted arrangement of Volcanic rocks is shown, coloured red, yellow, brown and purple. The rocks are seamed throughout with narrow vertical dykes of grey igneous material. The soil on the lower slopes of the island and on the volcanic hills near the coast is a very fertile tufa, called Pedra molle. It is red, yellow, or deep crimson in colour and is particularly suitable for vine culture.