IP s t e I s i a 



few rainless days. Even during the summer it 

 is unusual for a week to pass by without some 

 precipitation. The rain falls usually in the form 

 of steady continuous drizzle, which at times may 

 develop into heavy downpours. Such a 



great amount of rainfall cannot but have 

 far-reaching effects upon the floral population of 

 the place, and this together with the equable 

 climate brings about conditions favorable for the 

 development and maintenance of dense and 

 heavy vegetation. Snow is of rare occurrence 

 in this part of the island, and if it falls it quickly 

 disappears, because the temperature very seldom 

 is known to reach the freezing point. The 

 Japan current, with its warm waters sweeping 

 along the west coast of North America, exerts a 

 great equalizing influence upon the climate of 

 the islands whose shores it washes, and is an 

 important factor in the present floral develop- 

 ment. Moisture and heat are thus seen to be 

 present in quantities to give seasons with long 

 periods of growth. These combined causes are 

 responsible for the dense and stately forests that 

 characterize the region. 



