198 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



three prevailing Tribes of plants in the Paramera; occurring in the 

 following order of frequency : 



1. Gmniinacece. Dominant; and giving a grassy character to the 

 whole region, as ah^eady mentioned. 



2. Compositce. Consisting principally of Senecio'lilce plants of various 

 affinity, and of species of Bdccharis. 



3. Leguminosm. Consisting, perhaps exclusively, of Astragali and 

 Lupines ; genera, it will be observed, that are essentially Northern. 



Five additional Tribes of plants were, however, abundant ; con- 

 tinuing the order of frequency thus : — 4. Rhinanthaceoe, consisting 

 principally of Bartsieai ; 5. Valerianaceoe ; 6. CaryophylJacem ; 1. 

 Plantaginaceoi ; 8. Geraniacem. 



Small species of Ferns continued frequent; but were confined, even 

 more exclusively than below, to clefts in the rocks. 



The following plants were found growing in the Paramera; the cold 

 and grassy region between the limit of cultivation and the alpine 

 ground, or from the elevation of ten thousand feet to that of fourteen 

 thousand : 



\nemone (No. 9) ; having the habit of A. nemorosa. Twelve to eighteen inches high ; 



the stems leafy at the summit; leaves triternate, incised; flowers white. In the Chaneay 



Valley, at the commencement of the Paramera " at Bailos," Rich.* 

 Ranunculus (No. 27) ; long hairs; leaves multifid; sometimes as many as ten petals, 



which are obtuse or even notched ; carpels beaked. In the Paramera, along the ascent 



from Baiios. 



(No. 28). Creeping and inconspicuous, projecting about an inch above the soil ; 



leaves reniform, entirish ; the carpels mutic. In the upper portion of the Paramera, 



growing two and a half leagues beyond Culuay. 

 Arabis? (No. 17). Pour to six inches high; leaves obovate, dentate; flowers small, white; 



pod half an inch long. In the Canta Valley, growing in the Paramera along the 



ascent from Culuay. 



? (No. 18). Six inches high ; stems decumbent at base ; leaves spatulate, small, 



obovate, entire; pod fusiform, half an inch in length. In the Chaneay Valley, growing 



in the Paramera along the ascent from Banos. 

 ? (No. 19); base of the stem shrubby; leaves attenuate, oblong, paucidentate ; 



flowers white ; pod short. Frequent in clefts of rocks in the Paramera, along the 



ascent from Baiios. 



Cardamine (No. 14); near C. hirsuta. From Culuay up the Canta Valley to the alpine 

 region. 



* Sisymbrium (athrocarpum of Gray ; bis No. 10 lower down, in the mountain-region ; 

 near No. 6 Mount Rainier ridge in Oregon), and S. canescens. Growing spontaneously 

 throughout the Paramera to the alpine region ; (perhaps not in every instance in- 

 digenous). 



