DITBODUCTIOI^I 



The most otvious limiting factor on vegetation in Texas and Oklahoma 

 is the amo-ont of rainfall. This varies from an annual mean of 50 inches on 

 the northern Gulf Coast to less than 10 inches in extreme vrestern Texas. 

 Authorities have variously chosen the 97th to the 100th meridian as the 

 ?/e stern houndary of the humid area, and the 98th is here adopted as a good 

 approximate dividing line "between an eastern more humid and a western more 

 arid type of country. This line runs from Henrietta south to Lampasas, 

 Austin, Cuero, and Port Lavaca and conforms in a general way to the eastern 

 limit of abundant growth of mosquito. 



Uhile it is natural to think of the southern apex of Texa.s as semi- 

 tropical, it is scarcely entitled to that description and harbors oy no 

 means so many plants of subtropical affinities as does southern Florida. 

 There are some fruit-bearing shrubs, trees, and vines, however, that are 

 characteristic of the southeastern part of the State, and a list of them may 

 be useful to residents. Conditions for plants in the northern part of the 

 arid section of Texas and Oklahoma, or Panhandle country, are so modified by 

 low winter temperatures and strong, drying winds as to constitute a distinct 

 botanical province. For the reasons here outlined, separate lists of fr^j-its 

 are given for the arid and humid districts, for southeastern Texas, and for 

 the Panhandle region of Texas and Oklahoma combined. 



Table 1 shows groups of fleshy fraits most attractive to birds 

 throughout the United States and lists desirable kinds of birds most fond 

 of the fruit. No barberries, currants, or buckthorns are listed, because 

 they harbor rusts destructive to plants of economic importance. Junipers 

 are in almost the same category, a.s they serve as alternate hosts for 

 apple rust, but there is no reason why they cannot be used in districts 

 where apples are not commercially grown, as they are among the most valuable 

 plants for wildlife. Omitted also are plants poisonous to man on contact, as 

 poison ivy and poison sumac, as well as various kinds dangerously poisonous 

 to domestic animals, as yews, wild cherries, and nightshades, in spite of 

 the fact tb^t wild cherries are greatly relished by birds. Browsing 

 animals are known to have been killed by feeding on the leaves of wild 

 cherries but do not seem to be so seriously affected by those of plums. 

 Certain plants included among fleshy fruit bearers in previous publications 

 have been transferred to the list of seed producers, hence do not appear 

 in the present series of leaflets. These include magnolia ( Magnolia ) , 

 bittersweet ( Celastrus ) , and burningbush ( Euonymus ) . 



It should be noted that the fruit-bearing seasons recorded, beir^ 

 collected from varied sources, tend to be maxima. As a rule they are not 

 likely to be realized or even a.pproached in a single locality unless 

 n^omero^j-s specimens of a given species are present and so distributed in 

 sun and shade as to favor both early and late fruiting. 



Reg. 8 - 3 - 



