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 
.52 
4-03 
7.18 
3-51 
5-29 
33-29 
20.23 
11.74 
13 
Northern mountain 
species 
5-26 
10.52 
10.52 
31-57 
42.1 
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 roots tock 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 
