December 30, 191 1 113 



varies sufficiently to describe three new varieties. The typical 

 form ranges from Alaska to Oregon, the variety gracilis in the 

 mountains of Oregon, Idaho and Montana, the variety ciliolata 

 in Siskiyou county, California, and the variety californica^ which 

 is the one here illustrated, in the Sierra Nevada mountains of 

 California and Nevada at an elevation of from about 7500 to 

 12000 feet. 



THE FLORA OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS— H 

 By a. a. Heller 



The greater part of the species obtained while located at 

 Mr. Smiley's came from the Clover mountains from a single 

 ridge adjacent to the ranch. This ridge rises gradually from an 

 altitude of 5900 feet to about 9500, where it connects with the 

 central ridge of the system. The main part of it ends at the 

 head of a deep basin, but if one follows around the rim of this 

 large cup-like depression so characteristic of the Ruby range, and 

 continues up to the culminating point on the central ridge, the 

 altitude would be very clo.'^e to iiooo feet. The highest point 

 attained was about 10500 feel. 



The backbone of this lateral ridge faces toward the west, 

 and up to 7000 feet is rather broad and rounded, sloping gradu- 

 ally toward both the north and south, but from this point there 

 is a more decided crest line with a marked change in vegetation 

 between north and south slopes, species on either side ending 

 abruptly at the crest as if checked by an impassable and visible 

 barrier. 



The common sage brush, Artemisia tridentata^ is of course 

 to be reckoned with everywhere up to 8000 or 9000 feet, and is 

 found everywhere on south slopes. At a little under 7000 feet, 

 where the ridge becomes more rugged and less rounded, scat- 

 tered thickets of aspen, Populus tremuloides, begin to appear on 

 the north slope, and are found at intervals up to 9000 feet and 

 more, in some places forming groves of slender saplings 20 to 



