The herbaceous and ericaceous vegetation in the highlands of Santa Cruz was studied to find relations of plant communities to topographical relief. The vegetation was classified into six conlnlunities according to a scatter diagram of vegetation samples (releves) processed by the reciprocal averaging method and according to the dominant species. The communities classified are Paspalum conjugatum community, Pteridium aquilinum/ Blechnum polypodioides community, Lycopodium clavatum community, Hypericum uliginosum community, Polypodium tridens community, and Pernettya howellii community. Of the communities recognized, the Paspalum conjugatum community was found on moist, gentle slopes and flat sites. The Pernettya howellii community was established on southeast-facing, steep slopes at higher altitudes exposed directly to the southern trade winds. This habitat becomes wet or moistened by moisture-saturated southern winds on cloudy and foggy days, but dries up in extended dry periods. The Polypodium tridens community was found only on nearly exposed lava. The three other communities were intermediate between the Paspalum community and the Pernettya community in phytosociological and topographical relations.Acknowledgment: this article is digitized with the permission of Missouri Botanical Garden Press
