402 BOTANICAL SURVEY OF DISMAL SWAMP REGION. 



purpurascens, Stipa avenacea, Andropogon spp.), with Compositae 

 (Eupatorium spp. , Elephardopus nudatus, Solidago odora, lonactis 

 (Aster) linariifolius, Sericocarpus linifolius, Helianthus atrorubens, 

 Chrysupsis spp., etc.), *«itl with Leguminosae (species of Meibomia, 

 Lespedeza, Galaetia, Cracca (Tephrosia), Stylosanthes, Bradburya 

 (Centrosnna) virginiana, etc.). Other plants characteristic of such 

 situations and the neighboring open spaces are: Vernal-flowering spe- 

 cies, Hieracium venosum, Irisverna, Linaria canadensis, I lolajiedata, 

 and Carduus spinosissimus, the last being especially frequent at the 

 edge of pine woods bordering salt marshes; flowering in summer, 

 Tragia urens, Jatropha stimulosa, Opuntia opuntia (vulgaris), Helian- 

 themum canadense, Linum medium, L. floridanum, Poly gala incar- 

 nata, Monarda punctata, Koettia mutica, K. hyssopifolia, etc. Woods 

 with a growth of this character are more frequent near the strand 

 and along the larger streams. 



In heavier moist soils, Atamosco (Zephyranthes) atamasco, with its 

 beautiful large flowers opening in the spring, is locally gregarious, 

 sometimes carpeting the ground with a sheet of wh ite. Nothoscordum 

 bivalve (striatum) and Hypoxis hirsuta (erecta) are in flower at the 

 same season. It is rather remarkable that these three species, which 

 are among the most noteworthy bulb-forming plants of the Dismal 

 Swamp region, are all inhabitants of comparatively moist soil. Other 

 vernal flowering species of rather damp soils in or near the edges of 

 woods are Mitehella repens, Asarum virginicum, Podophyllum pelta- 

 tum, Smikwina racemosa, etc. In autumn appear Eupatorium coeles- 

 tinum, E. semiserratum, E. serotinum, Oentiana elliottii, Lobelia 

 puberula, Prenanthes alba, ErecMites hieracifolia, Panicum rostratum, 

 and P. verrucosum. 



Pteris aquilina is here often very abundant in moist, soils, although in 

 regions where the surface is more broken it prefers dry slopes. Other 

 ferns that are occasional in woods whose soil is still moister are species 

 of Osmunds, "Wood ward ia, etc., but these belong properly to the 

 wooded swamps. Polystichum (Dryopteris) acrostichoides is not infre- 

 quent. 



Owing to the poverty in humus of the lighter, sandy soils, sapro- 

 phytic fungi are there scarce. In the moister forests, however, they 

 are often somewhat abundant, although seemingly less so than in many 

 other forest regions of eastern North America. Of vascular sapro- 

 phytes Monolropa uniflora was the only species noticed, although 

 others probably occur. Parasitic leaf fungi are abundant, while 

 vascular parasites are few. Cortopholis americana is the most note- 

 worthy nonparasitic phanerogam. Mosses and hepaticae, epiphytic 

 and terrestrial, are by no means so abundant as in the wooded swamps. 

 Except in "The Desert," near Cape Henry, where Tillandsia usneoides 

 occurs on beeches, post oaks, and yellow pines, the only epiphytes 

 are lichens (especially Usnea spp., on pines, etc.) and Polypodium 



