30 



NORMAN TAYLOR 



Percentage of Growth-forms in Above List 

 (The percentages of the whole region included for comparison) 



Growth-form 



MG 



MS 



MC 



N 



CH 



H 



G 



HH 



T 



Whole region 



Northern mountain 

 species 



•52 



4-03 

 5.26 



7.18 



3-51 

 IO.52 



5-29 



10.52 



33-29 

 31-57 



20.23 

 42.1 



II.74 



13 







In the case of mesophanerophytes the percentage is obviously 

 misleading, but the notable figure here, as in all those for the local 

 flora area, is the high percentage of geophytes. It is often difficult 

 to decide whether or no any given species belongs to the geophytes 

 or hemicryptophytes, but errors of assignment to one or other of these 

 groups should about equalize each other. It cannot be, then, that 

 this abnormally high geophyte percentage is even partially explain- 

 able upon the assumption that many plants are incorrectly credited 

 to the group, as there is no more reason why they should have been 

 incorrectly assigned to this group than to any other. 



The conclusion as to the climate of our area, as reflected in the 

 spectrum of the whole flora is that the conditions seem more favorable 

 here for the production of deep-rooted perennials of the bulb-bearing 

 or rootstock type than any region as yet studied, and that the pro- 

 duction of aquatics is relatively great. Figures for eastern Asia in 

 this connection would be of interest. Such generalizations must 

 mean very little as yet, because all such schemes of correlating climate 

 and plant distribution deal with species rather than individuals. 

 Biological spectra based on a census of individuals would very greatly 

 alter the result. The chief value of this scheme of Raunkiaer's, and 

 it is the most suggestive of all schemes yet devised for the purpose, is 

 the opportunity it gives for comparison of one flora with another, for 

 comparing certain elements of the same flora, and it has been used in 

 studying even smaller categories of vegetation. To the ecologist and 

 phytogeographer it opens up a wide field of investigation. Its value 

 to the practical agriculturist and horticulturist must be apparent, as 

 it can be applied as a criterion of hardiness and suitability of plants 

 from one region for another. A study of the scheme from this stand- 

 point would surely reveal much information of value to growers. 



In the following four families, as illustrating the method, the species 

 have been assigned to their respective growth-forms. In many cases 

 it is not easy to assign the species, and much valuable work can be 



