1920] WILSON, PHYTOGEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF FORMOSA 41 



northwest and reappears again in Yunnan. This is curious since its close 

 relative Foklenia of eastern China and western Tonking is unknown in 

 Formosa and central and western China. The two Junipers of Formosa, 

 J.formosana Hay. and J. squamata Lamb., abound in central and western 

 China and the last-named in its dwarf form is found as far west on the 



Himalayas as Sikkim. 



Turning to the Taxads, no Torreya has yet been found in Formosa, 

 the Cephalotaxus is rare and apparently an endemic species, but the Yew, 

 also rare, is identical with Taxus chinensis Rehd. of central and western 

 China. The species of Podocarpus need a thorough investigation. One is 

 certainly P. nagi ZoH. & Moritzi indigenous also on the Liukiu Islands and 

 in south Japan, another is very similar if not identical with P. macrophyllns 

 D. Don, also indigenous in Liukiu and south Japan. It is possible that of 

 the other recorded species one may be endemic or they may be the same as 

 the above. But the curious thing is that none of them are known to grow 

 wild in China. To sum up, Podocarpus and Chamaecyparis show an affinity 

 with the flora of Japan, while the other Taxads and the Conifers and many 

 broad-leaf trees show the connection with that of central and western China. 

 Broadly speaking no real line can be drawn between the temperate floras 

 of Japan, Liukiu, Formosa, China and the Himalayas. The generic types 

 are largely common to the whole vast territory though in number they are 

 richer and more concentrated in central and western China. Narrowed 

 down to species and related species the regions mentioned constitute distinct 

 geographical entities. From this viewpoint the flora of Formosa has closer 

 relationship with that of central and western China than with that of 

 Japan^ Liukiu or the fairly adjacent coastal provinces of China. 



Thanks to the enlightened policy of the Japanese Government in pro- 

 moting a botanical survey of Formosa and to the assiduous labors of Dr. B. 

 Hayata much progress toward a knowledge of the rich and varied flora 

 of that island has been made. But we know so little about the flora of China 

 and the regions west to Sikkim that it will be long before exact knowledge 

 of the affinities and geographical distribution of species will be possible. 

 A century hence some botanist may critically analyze and compare the 

 floras of the region I have sketched. Formosa is indeed the " Pearl of 

 the Orient " and her crowning glory are the magnificent forests of ever- 

 green Lauraccae and Fagaceae, the gigantic Chamaecyparis and the lofty 

 Taiwanias which clothe her steep and rugged mountains. Preserved from 

 the utilitarian Chinese by the head-hunting custom of the aboriginal 

 I)opulation, it is sincerely to be hoped that these forests may not be de- 

 stroyed by the progressive Japanese. 



