214 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



terrestrial forms and are all confined to the transition and moist 

 regions of the islands. The Urticaceae are represented by six 

 species, one of which is endemic. They are all herbaceous 

 forms except Urera alceaefolia, which forms large sized bushes 

 and is rather an important element of the flora in the moist 

 regions of both Albemarle and Indefatigable Islands. 



The Amarantaceae are the sixth largest family of vascular 

 plants found on the islands, being represented by thirty-three 

 species, varieties, and forms. The two most important genera 

 are Amaranthus and Telanthera. The species of the first of 

 these are herbaceous in character and furnish some of the 

 most noticeable of the spring weeds in the dry and transition 

 regions. The species of Telanthera are woody in character 

 and the genus is represented in all the regions by species which 

 are shrubby or bushy in form. Of the thirteen species and 

 varieties of this genus all are endemic but two. 



The Nyctaginaceae are represented by four genera, three of 

 which form rather important elements of the flora. Crypto- 

 carpus pyriformis is usually found in the neighborhood of the 

 coast, where it often forms rather conspicuous thickets of light 

 green bushes which stand out in strong contrast with the gray 

 colored vegetation farther inland. Boerhaavia is represented by 

 four species in the dry and transition regions, and Pisonia by 

 one that forms one of the important forest trees in the transi- 

 tion and moist regions. 



The family of Aizoaceae is noteworthy in that it contains 

 two of the important elements of the halophytic flora, namely 

 Sesuvium Edmonstonei and 5. P ortulacastrum. The first of 

 these species is endemic, while the second has a wide distribu- 

 tion on tropical shores. 



The Menispermaceae contain but two species : Cissampelos 

 galapagensis and C. Pareira. The latter is one of the most 

 noticeable plants in certain parts of the transition and moist 

 regions, where it often covers the branches of the trees in 

 great profusion, while the large number of absorbing roots 

 which are put down from above may form tangled masses and 

 render traveling very difficult. It is the only plant on the 

 islands that approaches the woody liane type. 



The Legnminosae are the fifth largest family in number of 

 species on the islands, being represented by forty-five species, 



