78 PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 
is the most prominent. In the beginning of summer, when covered 
with the profuse clusters of its purple or lilac flowers, this shrub, 
from 6 to 10 feet in height, massed in dense thickets along the banks 
of Little River, forms one of the most attractive sights. The home of 
this shrub is ascribed to the highest crests of the southern chains of 
the mountains from western Virginia to Roan Mountain, on the border 
of North Carolina and Tennessee, at an altitude of 6,000 feet. It has, 
however, been found, by Mr. Small, at a much lower elevation on 
Table Mountain. At its extreme southern limit in Alabama it is asso- 
clated with the Azalea arborescens and Nalinia latifolia, Of other 
shrubs Vehurniwn cassinoides, extending to the Canadian zone, is abund- 
ant on the banks of this stream. Vrhurniwn dentatun, Rubus enslenii. 
and Celastrus scandens, of the same range of distribution, are frequent 
among the shrubs of the more exposed rocky heights. With these 
Alleghenian shrubs occur a host of other species, which are at home 
on the southern extremity of the lower ‘anges within the Carolinian 
area, and are more or less frequent throughout our mountain region. 
For example: 
Butneria (Calycanthus) fertilis. Hydrangea arborescens cordata, 
Llex monticola. Philadelphus hirsutus. 
Vacemium melanocarpum. Lrervilla rivularis. 
Vaccum pallidum. 
The Vacernium pallidum is reported as scarce on some of the highest 
summits of North Carolina (Buckley). Crataegus biltmoreana, ©. 
austromontana, ad CL surgenté ave new discoveries made on the decliy- 
ities of the mountain by Mr. Beadle of the Biltmore Herbarium in 
1899, which have also become known from western North Carolina, 
astern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. The prostrate stems of the 
northern Rubus hispidus cover open, miry places. 
The large lichen, Umbilicaria pustulata papulosa, which covers the 
naked cliffs, forms an association strongly expressive of the Alleghen- 
lan character of the flora of this locality. In the soil, rich in humus, 
shaded by the rocks, and on the shaded ledges lining the banks of 
Little River, mesophile ferns are also abundant. Asplen/iwin bradley?, 
of very local distribution in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee 
and Kentucky, occurs here, together with the more frequent— 
Asplentum pareulin. Asplenium imontanuin. 
Aspleniumae trichouanes, Asplentum pinnatifidiuin, 
Asplention filia-foemina, Dryoupteris marginatis. 
Dicksonia punctilobula. 
The last three are xerophile species, occurring on somewhat exposed - 
rocks. Other herbaceous southern Appalachian types here found are: 
Galas aphylla. Viola blanda, 
Thalictriun clavatoun, Viola rostrata, 
Viola multicaulis, Katonia pennsyloanica, 
