50 PACIFIC STATES FLORAL" CONGRESS. 



These brush gardens which form so important a part of the 

 flora of California, and are so characteristic of the Californian land- 

 scape, find their counterpart in other lands. The heaths of England 

 and Scotland have a similar character, but there is less variety in the 

 species. As the name suggests, the shrubs belong chiefly to the heather 

 family. 



The bush land of southern Africa is probably more like our chapar- 

 ral in appearance, and, like it, contains a great variety of species and 

 peculiar genera belonging chiefly to the Ericaceae, Leguminosae, and 

 Polygalaceae. 



In southern Europe there is a similar vegetation known as Maqui. 

 This consists of many species of Cistus, Helianthemum, Spartium, -and 

 Genista chiefly. 



In Russia there are areas similar to our deserts known as alkali 

 steppes, where arborescent Chenopodiaceas abound, together with Le- 

 guminosae and Zygophyllum. 



The Australian scrub is perhaps the most peculiar of all, and con-: 

 tains the greatest variety and the most interesting plants. We have 

 come to know many of them, as they are among our most prized shrubs 

 in cultivation, the acacias, the different peculiar Myrtaceae, such as 

 the bottle brushes and the leptospermums. There are great areas in 

 Australia where one kind will predominate almost to the exclusion of 

 all others. Such areas, when covered with a species of eucalyptus, are 

 known as malles. 



Perhaps the reason why we do not care to cultivate our own native 

 shrubs is because we can have them without cultivation, and we think 

 it more desirable to furnish our gardens and parks with plants which 

 could not otherwise be known to the great mass of the people. There 

 is much to be said in favor of that view, but it ought not to obscure 

 our minds to the plants which we have at home, and which are as beau- 

 tiful and equally worthy of our attention and care. 

 California Academy of Sciences, 

 San Francisco, Cal. 



