May 6, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



625 



It is, of course, evident that such miner- 

 alogical names cannot be applied to rocks 

 of complex composition. 



It seems clear that the naming of rocks 

 may be carried to excess, and that the sci- 

 ence of petrography may readily be buried 

 under its own nomenclature, 



H. W. Turner. 



U. S. Geological Sukvey. 



THE DIVERSE FLORAS OF THE ROCKY MOUN- 

 TAIN REGION. 



Few persons living in the Eastern States 

 are aware of the greatly diversified country 

 which is included under the general title of 

 the Rocky Mountain region. I have often 

 been requested by correspondents to pro- 

 cure species which, being recorded from the 

 ^ Rocky Mountains, ' were presumed to exist 

 just outside my door, but which, as a mat- 

 ter of fact, were not obtainable within a 

 hundred miles. 



The striking diversity which exists, ac- 

 cording to altitude, latitude and longitude, 

 is worthy of attention from several points of 

 view. To the horticulturist or botanist it 

 suggests great possibilities of finding even 

 conspicuous new species as new localities 

 are explored. To the horticulturist it also 

 strongly suggests possibilities in the way 

 of fruit-raising, since those localities which 

 have different wild plants are likely to be 

 suitable for different and peculiar varieties 

 of fruits. Valleys now uncultivated may 

 in the future become famous for their 

 special varieties of wine-grapes, of apples, 

 peaches or vegetables. What has been 

 done in Europe may be repeated here in 

 time. Then again, to the geologist the 

 facts are extremely significant. If the pres- 

 ent flora of our region could be preserved 

 in the rocks we should have a series of 

 beds absolutely contemporaneous, yet ex- 

 hibiting almost totally different sets of fos- 

 sils, not merely as to species, but as to 

 genera. The animal remains would be al- 



most equally diverse ; the insects even more 

 so than the plants. 



On August 30, 1889, I noted the more 

 conspicuous plants observed in a short walk 

 by Willow Creek, Custer County, Colorado, 

 at about 8,200 feet altitude. The list is 

 given here, and in a parallel column the 

 nearest approximation to it obtainable in 

 the immediate vicinity of my present home, 

 Mesilla, New Mexico, 3,800 feet above sea 

 level. 



Willow Creek, Colorado. 

 Aconltum Columblanum. 

 Delpbinium scopulorum. 

 ActEea spicata. 

 Berberis re pens. 

 Erysimum asperum, var. 

 Viola Canadensis. 

 Silene Scouleii. 

 S^dalcea Candida. 

 Geranium Ricbardsoni. 

 Lupin us argenteus, var. 

 Tbermopsis moniaua. 



Oxytropis Lamberti. 

 Fragaria vesca. 



Potentilla fruticosa. 

 Rosa blanda, var. 

 Parnassia fim,briata. 

 Ribes oxyacanthoides. 

 Epilobium aogustifolium. 



Osmorrbiza nuda. 

 Heracleum lanatum. 

 Lonicera involucrata. 

 Galium boreal e. 

 Aster Isevis. 

 Aster Fremonti. 



Erigeron glabellus mollis. 

 Gymnolomia muliiflora. 

 AcblUea millefolium. 

 RudbecUia laciniata. 

 Cnlcus Pari'5'1. 

 Troxim' n glaucum. 

 Campanula rotundifolia. ' 

 Arctostapbylos uva-ursi. 

 Pyrola rotundifolia, var. 

 Apocynum androssemifolium. 



Gilla aggregata, var. 

 Ecblnospermum floribundum. 

 Mimulus luteua. 

 Castilleia Integra, var. 

 Orthocarpus lu eus. 

 Pedicularis proceia. 

 Polygynum aviculare. 

 Polygonum tenue. 

 Polygonum convolvulus. 

 Cbenopodium album. 

 Comandra pallida. 

 Quercus Gam belli. 

 Populus tremuloides. 

 Iris Missouriensis. 

 Smila^ina stellata. 



Mesilla, New Mexico. 

 Clerca'tis Hgustlcifolis. 

 Ranunculus Cymbalaria. 



(No Berberide?e.) 

 Sisymbrium, spp. 

 (No Viola.) 

 (No representative.) 

 Spbseralcea angustlfolia. 

 (No representative.) 

 Sophora aericea. 

 DaleasGOpariafwlth aformanov. 



subrosea, flowers magenta). 

 Astragalus Woctoni. 

 Prunus sp. (escaped from culti- 



valion). 



(No representative.) 



CEnotbera Hookeri and CE. 



pallida. 

 (Notbingnear.) 



(Nothing near.) 

 (Nothing near.) 

 Aster tanacetifolius. 

 Aster canescens. 



Erigeron divergens. 

 Verbesina enoelioides. 

 Lepachys Ta^etes. 

 Helianthus annuus. 

 Cnicus ocbrocentrua, var. 

 Pyrrhopappus, sp. 

 (Nothiog'near.) 

 (No Ericacete.) 



Apocynum cannabinum (fide 



E. O. Wootou). 

 Gilia, sp. 

 Krynitzkia, sp. 

 Maurandia Wislizeni. 



Polygonum, spp. 



Cbenopodium leptophyllum. 

 Comandra pallida. 

 (No Quercus.) 

 Populus Fremont!. 

 (Nothing near.) 

 Yucca, spp. 



