﻿208 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  feet, 
  and 
  extends 
  upwards 
  to 
  8,000. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  growing 
  exclusively 
  on 
  the 
  

   banks 
  of 
  mountain 
  streams, 
  or 
  in 
  shady 
  swampy 
  places, 
  through 
  which 
  a 
  con- 
  

   stant 
  stream 
  of 
  cold 
  water 
  runs. 
  The 
  leaves 
  are 
  mostly 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  

   entire 
  stem, 
  spathulate, 
  or 
  oblanceolate, 
  and 
  somewhat 
  glaucous. 
  The 
  ramifi- 
  

   fications 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  flowers, 
  depend 
  upon 
  the 
  size 
  to 
  

   which 
  the 
  plant 
  develops. 
  The 
  perianth 
  is 
  of 
  an 
  orange 
  yellow, 
  spotted 
  with 
  

   purple, 
  and 
  but 
  slightly 
  recurved 
  at 
  the 
  tip. 
  Its 
  cultivation 
  seems 
  to 
  offer 
  more 
  

   diflBculties 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  our 
  species. 
  

  

  Botanists, 
  either 
  collecting 
  or 
  studying 
  California 
  plants, 
  cannot 
  bestow 
  too 
  

   much 
  care 
  upon 
  their 
  habitats 
  ; 
  and 
  can 
  never 
  possess 
  of 
  one 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  

   species 
  too 
  large 
  a 
  suit 
  of 
  specimens, 
  collected 
  at 
  different 
  localities. 
  In 
  a 
  

   country 
  like 
  this, 
  where 
  there 
  are, 
  in 
  fact, 
  but 
  two 
  seasons, 
  the 
  wet 
  and 
  the 
  dry, 
  

   passing 
  abruptly 
  from 
  one 
  into 
  the 
  other, 
  the 
  proximity 
  to 
  or 
  the 
  distance 
  

   from 
  the 
  foggy 
  coast, 
  the 
  general 
  physical 
  and 
  mechanical 
  properties 
  of 
  the 
  

   different 
  soils, 
  the 
  elevation, 
  the 
  exposition 
  (whether 
  west 
  and 
  north, 
  or 
  east 
  

   and 
  south), 
  and 
  the 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  rainless 
  belt 
  bordering 
  this 
  State 
  in 
  the 
  

   south, 
  or 
  from 
  the 
  rainy 
  belt 
  approaching 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  must 
  be 
  carefully 
  

   taken 
  into 
  consideration. 
  

  

  Omitting 
  for 
  the 
  present 
  any 
  remarks 
  on 
  those 
  parts 
  of 
  California 
  situated 
  

   south 
  of 
  latitude 
  35°, 
  and 
  those 
  north 
  of 
  latitude 
  40°, 
  there 
  are 
  distinguish- 
  

   able 
  in 
  Middle 
  California 
  the 
  following 
  ten 
  well 
  marked 
  botanical 
  regions 
  or 
  

   belts, 
  from 
  west 
  to 
  east: 
  1. 
  The 
  immediate 
  sea-coast 
  belt; 
  2. 
  The 
  redwood 
  

   belt 
  ; 
  3. 
  The 
  hilly 
  or 
  mountainous 
  park 
  and 
  chaparral 
  belt 
  ; 
  4. 
  The 
  Sacramento 
  

   and 
  San 
  Joaquin 
  Valleys 
  ; 
  5. 
  The 
  lower 
  foot-hills 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  to 
  

   2,000 
  feet 
  altitude 
  ; 
  6. 
  The 
  Middle 
  Sierra 
  belt, 
  between 
  2,000 
  to 
  4,000 
  feet 
  ; 
  

   7. 
  The 
  higher 
  Sierra 
  belt 
  ; 
  8. 
  The 
  Alpine 
  region 
  ; 
  9, 
  The 
  eastern 
  slope 
  ; 
  and 
  

   10. 
  The 
  eastern 
  basin. 
  

  

  The 
  characteristic 
  plants 
  of 
  these 
  various 
  regions 
  or 
  belts, 
  and 
  their 
  climates 
  

   and 
  their 
  influence 
  on 
  plants, 
  will 
  be 
  the 
  subject 
  discussed 
  in 
  the 
  next 
  article. 
  

  

  Regular 
  Meeting, 
  Monday, 
  December 
  15th, 
  1873, 
  

   Vice-President 
  in 
  the 
  Chair. 
  

  

  Forty-five 
  members 
  present. 
  

  

  On 
  motion 
  the 
  regular 
  business 
  of 
  the 
  Academy 
  was 
  suspended, 
  

   and 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  an 
  appropriate 
  Memorial 
  observance 
  of 
  the 
  death 
  

   of 
  Professor 
  Agassiz 
  was 
  considered. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  voted 
  that 
  a 
  committee 
  be 
  appointed 
  to 
  arrange 
  for 
  a 
  

   special 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  Academy, 
  to 
  be 
  called 
  for 
  the 
  foregoing 
  

  

  