26 University of California Publications . [botany 



south of Fullers Ridge. But this is a mere bagatelle as (•omi)ared 

 with the large forests, estimated at between 35,000 and 40,000 

 acres, still untouched. The Southern California Health Resort 

 Company has recently acquired some 5000 acres in and around 

 Strawberry Valley, and, being alive to their own interests, will 

 protect not only the forests but also the shrubs, ferns and flow- 

 ers to the best of their ability. The Florida Water Company is 

 also protecting the timber on their holdings on the west side. 

 The gi'eat bulk of the forests, including all those of the higher 

 valleys, is now in the government reserve, but each alternate 

 section of this land has, until recently, been held either liy the 

 Southern Pacific Company or l)y individuals. The United States 

 government is now extending its control by exchanging timber 

 lands in other parts of the West, mostly in Oregon, for these tracts. 

 This is a step in the right dii'ection and would seem to indicate 

 that the authorities realize the value of these forests to Southern 

 California; although the fruit growers of the surrounding region, 

 who are dependent on the mountain forests for theii* supply of 

 water for irrigation purposes, have exhibited no great interest in 

 the matter. 



THE UNDERGROWTH. 



We now come to a class of plants which are characteristic 

 inhabitants of the open coniferous forests. These might have 

 been taken up in connection with the forest formation but they 

 are so distinct from the elements of the forest itself that they are 

 here treated separately. Attention has already been called to the 

 fact that the forests inhabit those slopes having comparatively- 

 little surface moisture. It therefore follows that the species 

 comprising the undergrowth have their roots in di-y soil and, as 

 they are also subjected to the drying effects of the air currents 

 which pass through the open forests, thej- take on a semi-xero- 

 phytic character. 



The forests are largely free from undei'brush and the shrubs 

 are not therefore of great importance. In the higher valleys we 

 find only SynipJioricarpos Parishii, Penfstemon Bothrockii and a 

 few less common species, ])ut in the lower part of the pine belt 

 the suffrutescent species are more commonly met with, Arcfosta- 



