Vol.1] Hall. — Boianical Snrvetj of San Jacinto Mouniain. 29 



Peak, on the north, and from the Thomas Mountains on the 

 south, the moisture passing down these slopes through the 

 subsoil and rock strata and rising sufficiently near the surface 

 in the vallej' which thej^ enclose to furnish the conditions 

 favorable to a meadow formation. This meadow is composed 

 largeh- of "wire grass" {Juncus Mexicanus) which is also the 

 charactei'istic component of a number of the lower meadows 

 where there is but a limited supply of moisture. Toward the 

 lower end of the valley the water rises nearer the surface and 

 the wire grass is replaced by true grasses, such as Agropyron 

 caninum, Ehjmns triUcoides, and Polypogon Monspeliensis . 



In Onstatt Valley and at a few other places on the south side 

 of the mountain there are meadows similar to the one in Thomas 

 Valley. Besides these there occur at middle altitudes a few in 

 which the gi'asses predominate, but it is not until we ascend to 

 an altitude of about 8000 feet that meadows of any extent other 

 than those composed of wire grass are found. 



At this altitude we find, in Tahquitz Valley, a series of 

 meadows ranging from the 9000-foot contour down to 6500 feet. 

 Some of these are half-boggy hillside meadows while others are 

 nearly level, the water being forced to the surface by the con- 

 vergence of the strata forming the valley- walls. Of the 

 grasses, Agrostis tenuis and Plileum alpinum are the most 

 abundant, the loose panicles of the former making large, red 

 patches on the open meadows in August and September. In 

 places where the soil contains but a moderate amount of moisture 

 Elynius glaitcus and Bromus marginatus are important elements, 

 while Panicularia uervata is plentiful along the creeks below 

 7500 feet altitude. 



In Round Valley, at an altitude of 9000 feet, occurs a 

 meadow formation very different from that just described. 

 Although the soil and moisture conditions are apparently the 

 same as those which obtain in Tahquitz Valley', we here find the 

 grasses replaced by Garex Hallii and Carex jSfebraskensis, the 

 meadow being composed almost entirely of these two sedges, 

 while Poa alpina, the only grass which is at all common, grows 

 in a few places. The change is undoubtedly the effect of the 

 increased altitude, this meadow lying from 500 to 1000 feet 



