5o 
H. Takecid. 
firma, Acer spp., Castanea sativa, Cephalotaxus, Cinnaiiionmui 
Camphora, C. pedunculatum, Cryptomeria japonica, Diospyros 
Kaki, Euryci japonica, Larix leptolepis, Listea aciculata, L. 
glauca, Pasania cuspidata and Quercus spp. are to be found, 
partly wild and partly planted. 
At the 3,000 feet level the basal zone which we have just 
passed, begins to show a transition to the tree zone. The tree 
zone may be divided into the deciduous tree belt and the conifer 
belt, the former taking the lower part and the latter occupying the 
upper portion. The broad-leaved trees growing here include the 
following:— Acer, Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Cercidiphyllum, 
Cornus, Corylus, Euptelea, Eiionymus, Hydrangea, Quercus, 
Stephanandra, Viburnum. Very many shade loving plants form 
the undergrowth. In the conifer belt, Abies firma appears first, and 
this is followed by Larix, Picea, Tsuga, and other species of 
Abies. Mosses and liverworts form a thick cushion on rocks and 
trunks, and with these occur a number of interesting ferns and 
orchids. 
When we reach the 6,000 feet level, the gradient becomes 
much steeper, and trees are less abundant. The mountain ash, 
Rhododendron, Alnus spp., stunted birches, shrubby Spircea, dwarf 
willows and various ericaceous shrubs remind us that we are 
reaching the shrub zone. The flowers we meet with here are 
mostly of alpine character. Species of such genera as Adenophora, 
Arabis, Artemisia, Astragalus, Clematis, Geranium, Patrinia, 
Polygonum, Stellaria, and Thalictrum are quite different from their 
congeners growing down below. 
The zone between 7,500 feet to 10,000 feet from sea level 
belongs to the Alpine region. Plants growing in this zone are 
typically alpine and arctic. Arabis serrata, Artemisia pedunculosa, 
Astragalus membranaceus, Clematis alpina, Hedysarum esculentum, 
Polygonum cuspidatum forma colorans, Stellaria florida var. 
angustifolia, Vaccinium Vitis-Idcea are the plants which commonly 
occur here. 
Above this up to the summit, which is about 12,450 feet 
above sea-level, is the Lichen zone, where one comes across 
various lichens such as Cetraria islandica forma angustifolia, 
Cladonia rangiferina, Rhizocarpon geographicum and Stereocaulon 
octomerum. Here and there those plants which we have seen 
in the Alpine zone grow in crevices of the lava, but they do not 
thrive as they do some way further down. 
