Strand and Dune Flora of the Pacific Coast 167 



occupies high phylogenetic rank. The subgroup containing H. 

 ericoides comprises four closely related species. H. pinifolius 

 Gray and H. palmeri Gray are important members of the coastal 

 sagebrush of southern California. H. eastwoodae Hall presents 

 an interesting problem. It is a closely restricted endemic in the 

 vicinity of Monterey and Carmel, and is so like the widely 

 ranging H. ericoides in superficial appearance and habitat that 

 it was not recognized until 1904. Mutant origin is at once sug- 

 gested, but, according to Hall, its fundamental characters are 

 more primitive than those of the other three members of the 

 group. "It is possible that it is either a representative of the primi- 

 tive Ericameria or a reversional derivative of H. ericoides" {op. 

 cit., p. 260). The latter alternative seems the more plausible. 



Haplopappus ericoides is placed at the apex of its line. The 

 situation is best presented in Hall's words {op. cit., p. 264) : 



All of the evidence points to the conclusion that Haplopappus 

 ericoides occupies a high phylogenetic position. Although of close 

 consanguinity with H. pinifolius and H. palmeri, it possesses certain 

 unique features which almost certainly stamp it as a type more ad- 

 vanced than either of these. ... In geographic position, as in phylo- 

 genetic, this species has reached the frontiers, for it is restricted to 

 dunes and sandy soil along a narrow belt near the coast of southern 

 and middle California. This limitation of a highly modern type to 

 a narrow geographic area ... is in line with the requirements of the 

 age and area hypothesis of Willis; but it may be questioned if the 

 restriction of the present species may not be due to inability to com- 

 pete with others outside its own peculiar edaphic and climatic habi- 

 tat. This inability may in turn be accounted for by the absence of 

 variation within the species, which is thus seen to suffer from its own 

 high specialization. 



Eriophyllum staechadi folium Lag. (fig. 8^) is of lesser impor- 

 tance than the other dominants of the dune shrub community. It 

 is more apt, also, to be found in sand that is not entirely stabi- 



