THE NORTH TEMPERATE ZONE 



127 



rainfall, is a magnificent forest of giant redwoods, with an under- 

 growth of almost tropical luxuriance. 



Throughout the southern part of the Pacific Coast, including 

 all of coastal California, the winter is a period of active vegetation. 

 The rains are confined to the cooler part of the year, the summer 

 being quite rainless in most of California; and as far north as 

 British Columbia the rains are small in amount compared with the 

 autumn and winter precipitation. Thus in lowland California, 



Fig. 34. — Santa Clara Valley, near Stanford University. White oak, with 



mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens). 



at least, the growth periods are reversed when compared with 

 eastern North America. 



During the long dry summer the native vegetation is largely 

 dormant, but with the autumn rains, in October and November, 

 a host of annual grasses and herbaceous flowers sprout, and the 

 perennial herbs, especially the numerous bulbous and tuberous 

 species, start into growth, continuing to grow through the rainy 

 winter, flowering in spring, ripening their fruits and dying down 

 after the spring rains have ceased. 



As in all climates with mild winters, there is a preponderance 

 of evergreen trees and shrubs. Not only are coniferous trees 



