FLORA OF THE SAND KEYS OF FLORIDA 



CHARLES F. MILLSPAUGH 



Mr. O. E. Lansing, Jr., having been commissioned by the Museum 

 to make a botanical examination of all those islets lying to the west- 

 ward of Key West, Florida, arrived at the City of Key West on the 

 twenty-seventh of February, 1904, and, while making arrangements 

 there for his work on the sand keys, collected a series of the plants of 

 the island. Later he succeeded in commissioning a small sloop, in 

 which he visited Marquesas "A" and "C" on March roth; "B" 

 and "D" on March lith; "E," "F," "G," "H," "I,"on March 

 1 2th; Boca Grande, Ballast and Man Keys on March i3th; Key C, 

 Woman Key, Key B, Archer's Key, and the small keys north and 

 west of Woman Key on the i4th; and Mule, Cottrell, Mullet and East 

 and West Crawfish Keys on the isth. Returning to Key West, and 

 gaining passage on the U. S. Lighthouse Tender, he reached Fort 

 Jefferson, in the Tortugas. From this garrison, as a base, he worked 

 Bird and Loggerhead Keys on March ipth; Sand (or Hospital) and 

 East Keys on the 2ist; and concluded his work in an investigation of 

 Garden Key on the 22d. 



Mr. Lansing faithfully carried out his instructions, making a 

 thorough investigation of each islet, during which he collected every 

 species he saw on each no matter how well known to him nor how 

 common its occurrence might be. These collections, together with 

 his ^comprehensive notes and maps made on the spot, form the basis 

 of the detailed consideration of the islets in the following pages. 



As was to be expected, this archipelago proves to be vegetated 

 with only the usual broad strand species common to similar situations 

 on the Antillean islands in general. The principal value of this survey 

 lies, therefore, first: in the historical record of the present flora, which 

 should enable future students to determine what species have come to 

 the different islands since 1904, and what have been unable to sur- 

 vive; second: in the knowledge of what species come first to such 



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