THE PLANTING OF OUR FLORA 157 



to the sea at Fort Lauderdale, fully fifty miles 

 north of Paradise Key, but almost no tropical 

 flora is found a couple of miles back from the 

 shore. At Chokoloskee, on the west coast, a large 

 number of tropical forms are met, but five miles 

 away from the gulf the vegetation is warm tem- 

 perate, A few of the hardier West Indian plants 

 extend their range for a distance up the coasts 

 and some even into the interior of the peninsula. 



Along the west bluff of Indian River, just south 

 of Fort Pierce, in latitude 27°3o', I found thirty 

 species of tropical trees and shrubs. Ten rods 

 inland there began to be a few species of warm 

 temperate trees and at twenty rods back scarcely 

 any tropical species were to be found. Just to 

 the west of this fringe of hammock is a series of 

 nearly parallel, lofty sand dunes which deflect up- 

 ward the cold north-west winds, carrying them over 

 the top of the forest and at the same time inviting 

 an eddy of warm air from the river to draw in and 

 protect the vegetation of the beach. No doubt 

 the cold air settles immediately in the lee of the 

 ridge, thus preventing the tropical growth from 

 extending to it. 



Quite a number of species of our native tropical 



