101 



more likely that their scarcity or abundance is determined by 

 physiographic or climatic factors. 



Owing chiefly to its geographical location and topographic diver- 

 sity Connecticut may be regarded as a sort of transitional area be- 

 tween the north and the south where both boreal and austral 



Fig. 3. Interior of virgin northern hardwood forest at Colebrook. Hemlock 

 and beech with characteristic undergrowth. 



forms can find favorable environmental conditions. This state 

 represents the southernmost extent of range in the east/ so far 

 as recorded, for nearly 70 plants of northward distribution, while 

 about 80 species of southward range apparently reach here their 

 northern limit in the east. As might be anticipated, the rugged 

 highland regions possess a flora rich in boreal forms, while the 

 preponderance of austral species is encountered long the coast 

 and in the central lowland. From a phytogeographical stand- 

 point three well defined centers of distribution within the state 



' Some species which extenrl farther south along the mountains have been 

 included in this estimate. 



