36 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
Geophytes (G).—Perennial by bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, or by 
root buds. 
Helophytes and Hydrophytes (HH).—The former has buds at 
the bottom of the water. Hydrophytes have perennating rhizomes 
or winter buds and are truly aquatic. 
Therophytes (T).—Annuals. 
On the basis of 400 species carefully selected from tooo represen- 
tative species, RAUNKIAER prepared what he calls a ‘normal 
spectrum,’’ which shows the percentage distribution of these 400 
species into the several life forms. This is now accepted as a 
basis of comparison. 
The areas contiguous to the Big Pines have long been cleared, 
and are now covered with either grassy or shrubby plains or second 
growth oak associations. Considerable invasion has naturally 
occurred from these surrounding regions. Also repeated ground 
fires have run their course through both stands, although a part of 
the Lower Pines: has been spared for several years. The north 
exposure of the immediate river banks furnishes many interesting 
isolated colonies of glacial relicts, but these, as well as the evident 
invasions, have been eliminated in the summary of species. An 
attempt has been made to include only those species which are 
evidently the natural components of the formation. Obviously 
this introduces the unchecked personal factor, and doubtless some 
errors of judgment have been made, but it is hoped not enough to 
essentially modify the results. As the study was made in August, 
doubtless some spring forms may also have been missed. On the 
basis of four separate lists, however, 100 species have been included 
(table V). In table VI the ecological spectrum of these 100 
species is recorded. RAUNKIAER’S normal spectrum and TAyLor’s 
(see footnote 4) spectrum of the northern elements of the flora 
within too miles of New York City are added for comparison. It 
should be noted further that only twenty-seven species have not 
been recorded outside of the Big Pines formation (table V). It is 
highly probable that careful search would further reduce this 
number. 
A survey of the ecological spectrum of the Big Pines indicates 
that the mesophanerophytes determine the facies of the formation. 
