NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 49 



(3) Aliens escaped from cultivation: Medicago saliva, Pisum sativum, Zea mays, 

 Avena saliva, Hordeum vulgare, Citrullus citrullus=^6 species. 



(4) Natives of New Mexico: Solatium elaagnifolium, S. rostratum, S. triflorum, 

 ChamcBsaracha coronopus, Gcertneria tenuifolia, Iva xanthiifolia, Xanthium catnmmtet 

 X. commune wootoni, Verbesina exauriculata, Grindelia inornata, Helianthus annuus. 

 Cosmos parviflorus, Dysodia papposa, Bahia oppositijolia. Salvia lanceolata, Bouteloua 

 2 spp., Amaranthus chlorostachys, Verbena bracteosa brevibracteata, Malvastrum cockerelli, 

 Gaura coccinea, SphcBralcea cuspidata, S. fendleri lobata, Crassina grandiflora, Guiierrezia 

 sarothra, Leptilon canadense, Eriocarpum spinulosum, Teucriutn laciniatum, Ratibida 

 tagetes, Stipa vaseyi=^2g species. Some of these, like the Xanthium and the Leptilon, 

 may be aliens to the immediate region, which have established themselves so firmly that 

 they cannot be distinguished from natives. 



It would probably be worth while for botanists more frequently to put such facts as 

 the above on record; for, although they appear insignificant taken singly, they would, if 

 sufficiently nvunerous, afford valuable historical materials at a later date. Already it has 

 become in some instances difficult to distinguish ahens from natives, because we lack 

 information concerning past conditions. A list of the weeds growing under such conditions 

 as the above in Las Vegas fifty years ago would be decidedly interesting; and fiity years 

 hence it will be no less interesting to compare the weed-flora of the locality with that now 

 recorded. 



For an interesting discussion of plants growing on denuded areas, see Wallace's 

 Island Life, 2nd Edn., pp. 513-15. 



THE FLORA OF WARD, COLORADO 



We are accustomed to think of the flora of our higher mountains as being entirely 

 of a boreal tj'pe, but a careful analysis of the genera represented shows that this is not 

 actually the case. In the Andes the fauna and flora of high elevations appear to have 

 been derived from the surrounding lower lands, ' whereas in the Rocky Mounatins the 

 circumpolar elements are so conspicuous that we are apt to forget the existence of any 

 others. It is nevertheless a fact that southern and peculiarly American types do invade 

 the mountain heights, one conspicuous genus, Rydbergia, being even characteristic of the 

 Arctic -Alpine zone, though its allies are found in the species of Hymenoxys, a genus 

 extending even to South America, and not known in the Old World. 



When recently at Ward (alt. about 9,000 feet), I made a list of all the genera of flower- 

 ing plants, exclusive of grasses and sedges, that I saw. It is not to be supposed that the 

 list is complete for that locality, but it is sufficiently so to be highly characteristic. Ward 

 is in the upper part of the Canadian zone, and yet an analysis of the flora gives the following 

 results: 



(i) Boreal or Circumpolar genera: Aquilegia {A. ccsrulea), Fragaria, Ribes, Dasi- 

 phora {D. fruticosa), Campanula (C. rotundijolia), Epilobium, Chamanerion, Nupkar 

 {N. polysepalum), Rutnex (R. salicif alius) , Polygonum, Achillea, Pinus, Chenopodium, 

 Artemisia, Senecio, Geranium (G. fremontii), Carduus, Arctostaphylos (A. uva-ursi), Rosa 

 {R. sayi), Juniperus, Salix, Antennaria, Sambucus, Populus (P. tremuloides) Ranunculus, 

 Bursa (B. bursa-pastoris, no doubt introduced), Urtica, Potent ilia, Taraxacum {T. taraxa- 

 cum), Tri folium (T. pratense and repens, introduced), Galium, Anemone, Pulsatilla, 



• Cf. Bates in the Appendix to WTiymper's work on his travels among the Andes of Ecuador. 



