VOL. XI, NO. 8.—BOTANICAL GAZETTE.—AUGUST, 1886. 
The Flora of our South-western Archipelago. I. 
WM. S. LYON. 
Under this very general heading, extended reference will be 
made to the flora of Guadalupe Island, which though lying far 
to the south of the Santa Barbara group, and without the territory 
of the United States, is affected by so many phenomena and con- 
ditions identical with those existing upon the more northern 
islands, that as might be expected the floras of each reveal many 
features of common interest and, as we expect to show, common 
relationship. 
_ Speculations as to the origin, development and limitations of 
insular species enhance in value with the extent of the field under 
observation, With this end in view casual reference will be 
made to plants characteristic of islands other than those under 
direct consideration, but of whose flora our knowledge is still so 
fragmentary and imperfect, that until exhaustive collections shall 
ave been made therefrom, ultimate conclusions based upon suc 
references must be largely hypothetical and subject to future 
modifications. ae 
The writer has enjoyed the rare advantage of several visits at 
different seasons of the year to some-of the islands of the Santa 
Barbara Archipelago; made copious collections and field notes, 
and had, possibly (thanks to the courtesy of the San Clemente 
Sheep and Wool Company, and to the principal lessee of Santa 
Catalina Island), better facilities for the careful and extended 
observation of their respective floras, than had Messrs. Dall, Gam- 
bel, Wallace or Dr. Cooper, who had previously made brief ex- 
cursions to one or more of these islands. 
As for the islands to the south, Prof. Watson’s admirable 
monograph on the “ Flora of Guadalupe ”’ and the recent vigor- 
ous paper on the same subject by Mr. Greene,’ together with am- 
ple specimens from Guadalupe, Cedros and the adjacent main- 
land, kindly communicated by the latter gentleman, has supplied 
me with invaluable material for a fair comparison of the flora of 
these islands with each other and with the immediate continent. 
; he general physical conditions existing upon our west coast 
Islands seem to favor rapid and striking modifications in organic 
life, and if we show this to be the case, then their products afford 
~ Contribution roc. Am. Acad. XI, Feb. 1876. 
: Contributions to American Botany b o Watson, Bull. Cal 
Studies in Bot. of Cal. and parts adjacent, by Rev. Ed. Lee Greene, in Bull. 2 
Acad. No, Iv. 
