The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-25
WEALTH OF OUR FLORA.
COniferS and Other Species
Not Seen In Any Other
Country.
Professor Greene on Plant Distri-
button of the Pacific
Coast.

"Plant Distribution on the Pacific Coast"
was the subject Of a very interesting lee
ture by Professor Edward Lee Green of the
University of California last evening, be-
fore the Geographical Society of the Pacific
Coast.
The lecturer showed that California was
far richer in the variety of fora than any
other part of the United States, and has
many unique and grand species to be found
nowhere else in the world. He said in part
"If of what we call the higher plants
there are in the two foras an aggregate of
1000 indigenous species there are scarcely
half dozen that are common to the two
regions.
"Facts are forthcoming to show that most
plants die out in being transferred to new
conditions. Really the few indigenous
plants that are common to New England
and to CALIFORNIA; mere half dozen-are
either seashore or mountain plants, species
which are very strong, presumably, in
vital energy and capable of adapting them
selves readily to slightly differing environ
ment.
'Of species of oak we have eighteen.
The Atlantic flora has some twenty, and
they are all different from ours. But our
California oaks have, by eminent botanists,
been confused with European species.
"Quite unique among our American
forest tree types is our California tree, the
tan-bark oak. This brings out another
point of obvious connection between our
own and the South Asiatic forest botany,
for of near allies to our tan-bark oak there
are no fewer than twenty-five species dis
tributed through South Asia.
eve have but one species of walnut,
while the Atlantic slope rejoices in a
dozen. In other deciduous, hardwooded
trees, of genera widely dispersed, our silva
is poor. Let it not be inferred, however,
that our whole silva and flora are
poor in species and rich only in
abundance, and vigor and beauty of indi-
vidual plants. So far from it; there is no
equal area that can be measured out on the
Atlantic slope east of the Mississippi
whose flora will embrace more than one
flora of California.
"Of jumpers the eastern slope has them
in tree, the other two shrubs: We have
six, all but one being trees. Of expresses
we have four species, the eastern slope
none. Next of kin to the expresses
is the arbor vitae, and of this each
slope has its own species, the eastern
one tree of fair dimensions and the
western, one of the stateliest and most
fir trees the eastern slope has two, the
western six. The pines of the East number
ten species and of the West twenty. The
pines, frs, spruces and hemlocks OF our
coast make up forests which far surpass all
that was ever seen of sylvia dignity in the
Eastern coast of our continent.
"And yet this list does not include the
marvel of all marvels of sylvan grandeur,
the redwood. And not only our redwoods,
but also five other species of California
comfers belong to genera that are without
any representatives in the silva OF the At
lantic.
1.-The trees thus cut off from all other
American trees are the two redwood
! spruces, two Douglas spruces, one noun
tain hemlock and one true cedar. And II
California had no other conifers than these
six which no other country has, these Of
themselves would suffice to render this
commonwealth famous for its wealth Of
timber and its forest magnificence."
| The professor went on to show how cas-
| lily the Pacific Coast surpasses the East in