198 The Ohio Naturalist. [A^ol. XI, No. 1, 



fera, C. alternif olia) , are tJie more characteristic members. The 

 gromid cover is ahiiost throughout one of mosses such as Hedwigia 

 albicans, Anomodon rostra tus, and a species of Chara. In this 

 association lateral zonation is most clearly in evidence and arises 

 in part from the characteristic growth fonn of the respective 

 species, and in part from the physical features of the habitat. Of 

 the latter the factor chiefly concerned is the water content of the 

 soil. The essential connection between this is evident where 

 springs are the source of shallow pools. Tension lines in the 

 vegetation (ecotones) are not well marked, however. The zones 

 are too often incomplete or obscure. There is in consequence 

 more or less of a transition from the ground layer of mats of 

 mosses and algae to the lower grass and herbaceous layer and to 

 the tertiary layer of bushes and shrubs. 



The habitat across the road and south of the areas just 

 described, bears less resemblance to extremes in water content. 

 The cedars are of less mature age and size, and deciduous invaders 

 are still lacking. Next to the arbor vitae the predominant trees 

 are the yellow poplar and the red maple. The flora seems 

 more distinctly related to a transition stage. This may be due to 

 a former partial clearing of the area. The ^^oung cedar trees 

 average a height of ten to fifteen feet, and appear to occur in about 

 equal abundance in every quadrat and line transect studied. The 

 shrubs resemble those of open bogs, Aronia arbutifolia and Ilex 

 verticillata, being the most notable species. Betula pumila and 

 Potentilla fruticosa are rare. The shrubs form a vertical layer 

 nearly equal in height to the cedars. The interesting peculiarity 

 of the ground layer is the frequent occurrence of mats of 

 sphagnum (Sphagnum cymbifolium, S. acutifolium) wath the 

 round-leafed sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) clinging around the 

 stems of small bushes of huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). 

 These hummocks are often overgrown with the prostrate black- 

 berry (Rubus hispidus). Parnassia caroliniana, the fringed 

 gentian (Gentiana circinata), the marsh bellflower (Campanula 

 aparinoides), violets (Viola blanda, V. arenaria) and St. John's 

 wort (Hypericum prolificum) with the great lobelia (Lobelia 

 siphilitica) , and a similar but slender dwarf form (Lobelia spicata) 

 are found indiscriminately, but usually near small pools in which 

 the small bladderwort (Utricularia minor), mosses (Hypnums) 

 and Algae (Chara sp.), are some of the frequent species. The 

 cat-tails (Typha latifolia) are still sparse. 



Adjoining this open association is a clearing, now used for past- 

 ure, which was formerly burned over. The peat soil is black in color, 

 non-fibrous but rather wet. The entire cleared area is densely cov- 

 ered with the shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) averaging a 

 height between three and four feet. In a few undisturbed places a 

 succession is indicated with arbor vitae as the dominant tree. Seed- 



