1869.] MATTHEW — ON PLANTS IN ACADIA. 139 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ARCTIC AND WESTERN 

 PLANTS IN CONTINENTAL ACADIA. 



By G F. Matthew. 



(Read before the Natural History Society of New Bruuswick, 

 ]3th April, 1869.) 



To the botanist as well as to the geologist this portion of the 

 North American continent presents an inviting field for research ; 

 and the more so as till within a few years its flora has received 

 but little attention. Although one cannot expect to find new 

 species in a region, a large part of which, when viewed from a 

 geological stand-point, has but recently emerged from the ocean, 

 and has, therefore, received its flora from countries older and 

 better known ; yet the many peculiarities which may be observed 

 in the distribution of plants in Acadia, form of themselves a sub- 

 ject in the study of which leisure hours may be profitably spent. 

 To bring some of these peculiarities into notice by the public, 

 and to indicate, though veiy imperfectly, the causes which have 

 produced them, are the objects of the following remarks. 



From the correspondence of natural features in Maine and New 

 Brunswick, and from their situation, being alike exposed to the 

 same variations of temperature, we would naturally expect to find 

 no very marked differences between the floras of the two countries. 

 This, indeed, is in a great measure the case, if we look upon 

 Maine as a whole ; but if w>; separate from it that portion of the 

 State northward of the mountains which cross its centre, and 

 eastward of the Penobscot River, a palpable difference in the 

 vegetation of the section north and south of this divisional line is 

 apparent. 



The northern section, including the province of New Brunswick, 

 may be designated Continental Acadia. Apparently merging into 

 New England on the south — for there is no conspicuous natural 

 barrier between the two countries — it is, nevertheless, as regards 

 the indigenous plants which grow within its borders, closely allied 

 to the neighboring province of Quebec, although a mountain 

 range hitervenes. This portion of Acadia contains four principal 

 districts, viz. : an upper plain or plateau varying from about 200 



