224 Flora of the Cape Region. [zoe 



California, and Ceralbo Island, east of La Paz, perhaps represents 

 the continuation of the Coast Range in the same direction. 



Lower California is a Mexican Territory; divided into two de- 

 partments, and the Cape Region forms a portion of the Depart- 

 ment of the South, which has for its capital La Paz. 



This region, although small, on account of its position with re- 

 spect to the peninsula and its distance from the main land of Mex- 

 ico, possesses a flora in part endemic, in part common, to that of 

 other countries, which by its distribution and peculiarities seems to 

 be worthy of the publication of the following notes and table. 



The mountains, according to the maps of the Coast Survey, reach 

 nearly to a height of 6,000 feet above the level of the sea; their 

 summits in winter are cool and pleasant, with occasional frosts at 

 night and sometimes ice a quarter of an inch thick is formed on 

 standing water. Clouds envelope the highest portion from June to 

 September, and then thunder storms are frequent. In the lower 

 altitudes, frosts are unknown and the heat is what would be expected 

 in a region situated about the Tropic of Cancer and in the northern 

 limit of growth of the cocoanut, the guava and the aguacate.* The 

 winds from the ocean and gulf blowing over this narrow strip of 

 land serve somewhat to reduce the heat of the sun's rays during 

 the day and render the nights not unpleasant during the hottest 

 time of the year. 



The year is divided into the wet and dry seasons. The rains of 

 the wet season are expected between June and September; they 

 come mostly in the form of showers and seem to be unequally dis- 

 tributed over the region. During one of my visits, the vegetation 

 about San Jose del Cabo was green and growing as the result of 

 many showers, while about La Paz every plant was dry and with- 

 ered. The lower elevations, excepting at the time of rains, are dry, 

 and running water is rarely found except in the San Jose River, 

 about Todos Santos, San Bartolome and a few other places; but near 

 the tops of the mountains, some small streams run throughout the 

 year some distance downward, but are soon lost amongst the rocks 

 and sand. Some years no rains fall except on the mountain tops, 



*The fruit of this plant, which is too sparingly found in our markets, is com 

 monly known as "alligator pear," a rather unlovely corruption of its Spanish 

 name. 



