366 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1952 



on Okinawa is 72° F., but the mean daily maximum for the hottest 

 month, July, is 89°, the average for the summer being 81°. The cold- 

 est ever recorded is 41°, and the winter average is about 62°. In sum- 

 mer the average humidity runs from 76 to 80 percent, and in winter 

 the mean minimum is about 73 percent. At Naha the mean annual 

 rainfall is nearly 83 inches, with the average lowest in December 

 of about 4.3 inches and the average highest in June of about 10 inches. 

 More than half the days of each month are classed as rainy. The 

 most significant factor alleviating this gloomy picture of high heat, 

 humidity, and rainfall is the sea breeze and drying sun. One can 

 slosh in mud while blinded by dust. A major factor in the climate is 

 the periodic typhoons, which in summer and early in fall all too fre- 

 quently roar up from southern regions and sweep along this chain. 

 On some islands only one crop of rice a year is planted because a 

 second one is too likely to be ruined by a typhoon. The raging winds 

 not only affect the life of the people but are, undoubtedly, one of the 

 major factors in the natural selection of the flora. 



So on June 13 I was established as a civilian botanist under the guid- 

 ance of the United States Army, which furnished housing, trans- 

 portation, supplies (other than what I brought) , regulations and MP's 

 to guide my conduct and to guard my health, medical attention, and, 

 indirectly, assistants, all of these items being classed by the Army as 

 "logistic support." The Forestry Section of the Food and Natural Re- 

 sources Department of the United States Civil Administration, with 

 headquarters in Naha, supervised and provided liaison for my opera- 

 tions. Housing was found in a quonset-hut area in Naha, provided for 

 certain Army officers and civilians mostly concerned with operation of 

 the busy port, and food was available in its officers' mess. 



The separation of western and native life in an occupied area was 

 glaringly evident, and intermingling with the Okinawan peoples and 

 their life was by no means easy, the language difficulty being para- 

 mount. It was some days before I was able to meet the Okinawan 

 botanists, the authors of the Flora, whom I found to be most agreeable 

 companions and associates both on botanizing trips and in indoor as- 

 sociated labors. In the course of my work I met many other Ok- 

 inawans, but these three were my special associates. Mr. Tawada 

 had just been specially employed by the Okinawan Saion Forest Re- 

 search Nursery and assigned to work with me. Amano, employed by 

 the Okinawan equivalent of the Department of Agriculture, joined 

 us when he could be spared and spent many after-hours with us. Mr. 

 Sonohara sometimes broke away from teaching in the Nago Agri- 

 cultural High School halfway up the island to join our forays. As 

 eager botanists these three cannot be surpassed, and to their whole- 

 hearted cooperation, extensive knowledge of the flora, and tireless 



