86 PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 
southern station, reduced to a shrubby growth. <A peculiar form of 
Alsine pubera (var. tennesseensis) found by Dr. Short in Kentucky, 
according to Dr. Small, with //euchera hispida hirsuticaulis, inhabits 
the deeply shaded, damp rocky shelves and clefts with Cystopteris 
Fragiis, and the delicate fronds of the Northern Cystopteris bulbifera 
with the Southern maidenhair (.ld/antum capillus-veneris) overhang 
dripping rocks. 
VEGETATION OF THE LOWLANDS, COVES, AND BLUFFS. 
Mesophile forest. South of the Tennessee River the lowlands border- 
ing Catoa, Flint, and Big Nancy creeks are covered with extensive 
hardwood forests. The dense tree cover consists chiefly of cow oak, 
Texas oak, willow oak, Spanish oak, and more sparingly of mocker- 
nut hickory, beech, and white ash, with hornbeam, papaw, deciduous 
holly (/lew decidua), and hawthorns (Cratacgus aplifolia, C. crus-qalli, 
. spathulata), common in damp fresh soils, as undergrowth. 
The cow oak abounds in the bottoms along the streams in the per- 
fection of its growth, trees from 30 to 40 inches in diameter not being 
rare. ‘Three trees felled, representative of the average size of this 
valuable hardwood timber, showed the following dimensions: 
Dimensions and age of cow oak timber. 
joo 
Length of 
+, ,¢ Diameter | stick of Total | Annual 
Ne Je breast high| merchant-| height of | a a 
Sampte. (inches). [able timber] tree (feet). SP : 
| feet high. 
(feet). | 
1 38 | 388 280 
2 86 | 39 103 220 
3 | 26 | 37 | 95 177 
| 
The Texas oak or Southern red oak, the frequent companion of the 
above, is often found from 24 to 3 feet in diameter and from 80 to 100 
feet in height, dimensions attained at an age of from 150 to 175 years. 
The timber of the Southern red oak is considered little inferior to that 
of the white oak. 
White ash (/raxinus americana) is found scattered throughout the 
forest, particularly along the base of the declivities bordering the low- 
lands. Trees from 24 to 3 feet in diameter have been observed in the 
valleys, as well as occasionally in other localities, extending to the 
border of the Louisianian area. Not being of gregarious habit, this 
tree is not abundant in any locality. 
The benches of the Mountain Limestone which form the terraces of 
the wide fertile coves surrounding the head waters of the streams 
named are covered by a deep fresh soil rich in humus, productive of 
an excellent timber growth. On these terraces oaks predominate, 
and, above all, the white oak (in this region called ridge white oak to 
distinguish it from the swamp white oak or cow oak), together with 
