77 



In Peat-bogs, along the borders of lakes. Common in its proper 

 habitat. The dioecious flowers precede the leaves. Whole plant 

 strongly aromatic. May 2. 



1973. M. asple.vifolia, Endl. (Sweet Fern.) 

 Comptonia aaplenifolia, Ait. Gray's Man. 458. 



Sandy and clayey woods. Ironsides. Aylmer. Ap. 4. Local. 

 A pretty aromatic shrub, 1 2 feet high, with fern-like linear- 

 lanceolate leaves six inches in length, which are pinnatifid with 

 many rounded lobes. 



CUPULIFER^J. The Oak Family. 

 BETUL A , L. Birch. 



1974. B. lenta, L. (Cherry Birch. " Black Birch.") 

 B. excelsa of Aiton. 



Rich woods. May 1. (B) A large foi'est ti*ee with thick bark, 

 which is smooth and dark brown, like that of the cherry, when 

 the tree is young. Fruiting catkins oblong-cylindrical, over an 

 inch in length, the scales short with divergent lobes. 



1975. B. lutea, Michx, f. (Yellow Birch. Gray Birch.) 

 B. excelsa of Pursli. 



Low rich woods. May 1. Bark of trunk yellowish or silvery- 

 gray, hanging in thin filmy layers. Fruiting catkins oblong- 

 ovoid, under an inch in length, the scales thinner than in No. 

 1974, twice as large with narrower, barely spreading, lobes. 

 1977. B. papyrifera, Mx. (Paper Birch, Canoe Birch.) 

 B. papyracea. Ait. Gray's Man. 459. 

 "Woods and river banks. May 1. (B) Leaves ovate. 

 1979. B. pumila, L. (Low Birch. Swamp Birch.) 



Peat bog. Mer Bleue. Rare. May 4. A small shrub, with 

 erect branches, not glandular ; young branches and roundish 

 leaves soft-downy when young. 

 ALNUS, Gaertn. Alder. 



1985. A. in t cana, Willd. (Common Swamp Alder.) 



Borders of streams and swamps. Ap. 2. (B) Usually our first 

 plant to flower. This and Acer dasycarpum always preceding 

 all others. The catkins which (of both sorts) were formed the 

 previous summer, flowering long before the leaves expand. 



