1920] WILSON, CAMPHOR 239 



deep sands witli dense subsoils in Wilson, Atascosa and Gillespie counties; 

 the Cottonwoods {Populus halsamijcra) along the Llano and other oi)en 

 rivers of the Edwards Plateau an J a low Palmetto in Kendall County north- 

 west of San Antonio. A few hardy species, such as the Live Oak, Texas 

 Oak, Hackberry, Southern Elm and White Ash {Frjxinus Icxina) were 

 suflEiciently aiaptable or have undergone such modification in character 

 that they have been able to survive, generally in a much reduced and 

 stunted form, even in more open situations. But the most conclusive and 

 striking evidence is afforded by those peculiar vestigial colonies of unmis- 

 takably Carolinian species, although most of them have been considerably 

 modified by long isolation, found in the upper canyons of the Edwards 

 Plateau. There, as the forest retreated before the increashig aridity of the 

 region, they took refuge, and by reason of the protection afforded by the 

 cliffs and tlie ])erennial water supply, which not only furnishes moisture for 

 their roots but through its rapid evaporation keeps the air somewhat humid, 

 they have been able to survive and stand as living witnesses to the muta- 

 tions of time upon the flora of the region. 



WebBj City Missouri, February, 1920. 



CAMPHOR 



CINNAMOMUM CAMPHORA NEES & EBERMAIER 



E. H. Wilson 



Ix the Occident camphor obtained from Cinnamomum Camphora Nees & 

 Eberm. is the best knowm commercial product of Formosa and for this rea- 

 son it is thought that information obtained during my recent visit to that 

 island, where the industry is a Government monopoly, may be of interest. 

 The tree grows In the warm-temperate and sub-tropical rain-forest zone of 

 eastern Asia from south-central Japan to just within the borders of Ton- 

 king, yet for this variety of natural camphor the world is almost entirely 

 dependent upon Formosa. In this island the tree is not to be found on the 

 alluvial plains but in the submontane region from little above seadevel to 

 1400 m., being at its best l^etween 500 and 1000 m. Within this altitudinal 

 zone the Cami)hor-tree is found all over the island, but to-day apparently 

 is most plentiful in the northeastern parts. It is never found in pure stands 

 but always as an isolated tree scattered through the evergreen forests. 

 These are mainly composed of other Lauraceae, evergreen Fagaceae and 

 Tree Figs with a rich undergrowth of miscellaneous shrubs. Tree Ferns and 

 coarse herbs; stout lianas abound and the tree-trunks and main branches 

 are clothed with epiphytes, chiefly Ferns and Orchids. The country is 

 steep and the Camphor-trees are tall but not really large, indeed, I saw 

 none that merit special mention on account of size or approach that of many 

 planted specimens in Japan. The finest I saw were on the east coast in 

 Karenko and Giran prefectures. In Taihoku and in Nanto prefectures 

 nearly all the accessible Camphor-trees have been felled. 



In Japan the Camphor-tree is wild in southern Hondo, Shikoku and Kyu- 



