Nov., 1910,] A Cedar Bog in Central Ohio. i^'j 



as a lower herbaceous layer the maiden-hair fern (Adiantum 

 pedatum), the dwarf raspberry (Rubus triflorus), wood ferns 

 (Aspidium cristatum), mitcrwort (Mitella diphylla), wakerobin 

 (Trillium erectum, T. <^randiflorum), false Solomon's seal (Smila- 

 cina trifolia), violet (Viola blanda), the star flower (Trientalis 

 americana), the Indian cucumber-root (Medeola virginiana), 

 manna grass (Glyceria Torreyana), and others. 



In many places the A^arious shrub layers immediately below the 

 trees interpose as dense screens. These are often of sufficient 

 density to reduce the light to a diffuseness which leads to frequent 

 modification and a consequent rearrangement of the individual 

 plants in the ground stratum. The number of such plants present 

 is not large; they are all past flowering when shade conditions 

 become extreme. The little mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) 

 and various mosses and liverworts are the more resistant members 

 of the living ground cover; they tend to disappear only when the 

 shade condition approaches a light value similar to that of the 

 pure stands of cedar. 



To the east of the mature formation and adjoining it is an 

 open area; in it occur a number of low wet places. The water of 

 the cold springs is overcharged with carbonate of lime. The 

 average soil moisture content is near saturation, and the soil 

 temperature uniformly low throughout the year. In other places 

 the water content is not quite so high, but higher usualh- than in 

 any of the soils frequented by the cedars. Testborings indicate a 

 surface layer of black non-fibrous peat about two feet deep, 

 resting on a cream colored, fine grained marl, three feet in depth 

 and underlain by sandy gravel. The marl is frequently of the 

 nature of calcareous tufa. In the wetter habitat the plant asso- 

 ciation resembles that of an open sedge zone. The dominant 

 plants are the rushes Juncus brachycephalus, Eleoeharis obtusa, 

 E. palustris, and Scirpus americanus. The physiognomy changes 

 in places on account of an admixture of shield fern (Aspidium 

 Thclypteris) and the parnassus (Pamassia caroliniana), with an 

 occasional lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus), some goldenrcds 

 (Solidago Riddellii, S. ohioensis), the Canadian burnet (Sanguis- 

 orba canadensis), twayblade (Liparis Loeselii), water avens 

 (Geum rivale), millet grass (Milium effusum), the marsh bell- 

 flower (Campanula aparinoides) , lousewort (Pedicularis lanceo- 

 lata), the golden ragweed (Senecio aurevis) and swamp asters 

 (Aster puniceus, var. lucidulum). Until recently orchids (Haben- 

 aria psycodes) and lady slippers (Cypripedium hirsutum, C. 

 parviflorum) were not uncommon. 



Nearer the cedar groves a low shrub society appears, among 

 which the shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), the bog birch 

 (Betula pumila), several willows (Salix discolor, S. petiolaris), the 

 buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), and dogwoods (Comus stoloni- 



