AN OUTLINE OF PHYTOBIOLOGY. 13 



succulents (water-holders), while yet, again, the former 

 has nnich in common with other sea-shore plants, and 

 the latter with other dwellers in the desert. So there 

 are groups within groups in adaptation, and the student 

 has to take account of generalization as well as details. 



III. — The Phytobiological Study or Survey op Acadian 

 Plants. 



The three Acadian provinces offer to the student of 

 phytobiology a field of unusual attractiveness. It is 

 true we do not possess those extremes of physical 

 conditions which give us such extremes of adaptations 

 as are found on deserts, high mountains, or in the damp 

 tropics, but we have approaches to them all. The great 

 diversity of surface of Acadia, rich forest lands and 

 intervales, salt-marshes and sand-dunes, bare hill-tops and 

 wind-swept cliffs, together with the richness of its ffora, 

 comprising, as it does, more than a third of all the many 

 species found north of Tennessee and east of the Missis- 

 sippi ; and the great climatic changes of past times, 

 all combine to make the plant life of Acadia of great 

 interest, and of much promise in phytobiological results. 

 And this is true not only of cpiestions of individual 

 adaptations, but the presence of all of the great biological 

 groups, Insectivora, Succulents, Parasites, etc., with their 

 problems, and the unusual variety of climatic groups, 

 add to our advantages. 



To proceed now to the treatment of the subject from 

 the point of view of the Acadian student, we nnist first 

 make some classification of the great subject. As else- 

 where in nature none can be made which will be sti-ictly 

 natural and give exclusive divisions, and that to be out- 

 lined below is based largely upon convenience of treat- 



