so JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM [vol. ii 



the flora of Formosa by Dr. B. Ilayata. lie gives a general history of 

 })otanical study in the island, enumerates the collectors, tabulates the prin- 

 cipal types found growing in different altitudinal zones, and gives illustra- 

 tions from a number of excellent photographs. lie states that at that time 

 the total number of flowering plants and vascular cryptogams known was 

 2417 species belonging to 764 genera. In Volume VII of the Iconcs Plan- 

 tarnm Formosananuji issued on March 25, 1918, the figures had risen to 

 33o9 species and 57 varieties belonging to 1173 genera and 169 families. 

 Quite a large portion of the island is still unexplored and the collections 

 made by the lamented Pcre U. Faurie and by W. R. Price have not yet 

 bc*Mi wholly determined. So notwithstanding the great progress made 

 since the Japanese undertook a !)otanical survey of the islan<l it cannot be 

 said that the flora is exhaustively known. Furthermore, before any accu- 

 rate idea of its richness in endemic forms is possible it will be necessary to 

 compare them with those of central and western China. Taken on the 

 whole and as far as our knowledge goes Formosa is remarkably poor in 

 endemic genera, but very rich in species of woody plants, especially of trees, 

 and the mountain flora is largely composed of endemic plants. 



The coastal flora is not particularly Interesting consisting as It does 

 largely of plants widespread in warm-temperate and sub-tropical regions. 

 On (he west coast a broad alluvial plain extends from the foothills to the 

 sea which Is ever receding. Agriculture claims nearly the whole of the 

 ])hun and I have never visited a less Interesting region. In the north vol- 

 canic mountains that have been largely deforested abut on the sea. In 

 the gullies and ravines grow various trees but the sloj)es and mountain-tops 

 are mostly clad with a tangle of miscellaneous shrubs and coarse grasses, 

 Soulh of Taihoku, the capital city, are low hills similar to those of the vol- 

 canic area. In both regions Finns Massoniana Lamb, is common but since 

 this Pine lias been much planted by the Chinese it is not possible to dis- 

 tinguish with certainty spontaneous trees. In fact I am by no means con- 

 vinced that it is really indigenous In Formosa. The Pride of India {Melia 

 Azcdarach L.) and an Acacia (.4. conjusa Merrill) are also abundant as 

 planted trees, and the latter appears to be indigenous in the extreme south. 

 Other trees of the coastal hills are Qucrcus glauca Thunb., Mcliosma 

 rhoifolia Maxim., Celtis sinensis Pers., Machilns Thunhergii S. & Z., 

 Bomhax malahariciim DC, and various Tree Figs like Ficus Wiijhtiana 

 lienth., F. retiisa L., F, Jlarlandii Benth. and F, nervosa Ileyne. On the 

 volcanic Daitoil range grows a variety of shrubs iricluding Rhododendron 

 Oldhamii Maxim., Pieris ovalifolia D. Don, several sj^ecles of Elaeagnus, 

 a large-leaved Box which may be Buxus liukiucnsis Mak., Rosa laerujata 

 Michx., several Viburnums, a Mahonia, and EuseajyJiis japonira Dij)p. 



In the south round Takao the formation is all coral limestone. On the 

 strand which encloses a lagoon at Takao grow such Margrove-likc trees 

 as Ka}idclia Rhccdil Wight, Rhizophora mncronafa Lam. and Bruguicra 

 gymnoshiz'} Lam. and associated with them are Avicennia ojjicinalis L. and 

 Lumnitzcra raccmosa Willd. A similar collection of Mangrove-like trees 



