76 Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. 1, No. 5 



MINOR PLANT NOTES, NO. 2. 

 W. A. Kellerman. 



Taraxacum Erythrospermum. — The Red-seeded Dandelion, 

 now known to be common in our State, is a late bloomer. An abun- 

 dance of flowers may be seen way after the severe frosts of autumn 

 set in. Mr. Fred. J. Tyler collected specimens in bloom at P§rry, 

 Lake County, December 17. He reports "great fields" of it at that 

 place, whereas the common Dandelion (Taraxacum taraxacum) was 

 conspicuous by its absence. Prof. Beardsloe of Cleveland, reports 

 the Red-seeded form as the one of common occurrence in Cuyahoga 

 County. I have noted the Red-seeded form in bloom near the city 

 of Columbus December 23, though the month has been a cold one, 

 the thermometer registering once 10° F. The Common Dandelion 

 (Taraxacum taraxacum) does not seem to bloom so late in the 

 season— at least it is in bloom much less abundantly here Con- 

 tributions of phenological observations on interesting plants of 

 our flora by readers of The Naturalist are in this incidental 

 way earnestly solicited. 



Grove of La.rge Beeches.— There are now remaining in Ohio 

 very few large groves of beeches. Of groves of very large beeches 

 the same may be said. At Arion, in Scioto County, in the narrow 

 valley of Brush Creek, are a large number of magnificent specimens 

 of this very attractive American tree. The trunks are straight as is 

 always the case for this species, smooth, and many of them are ten 

 to twelve feet in circumference. One specimen measured twelve 

 feet four inches, three feet from the ground. The grove is now used 

 for picnic and camping purposes, and it is sincerely hoped that these 

 splendid trees may be sacredly preserved for an indefinite time. 



Habitat of Rhamnus Caroliniana.— The manuals give the 

 habitat of this species " in swamps and on low grounds" (Britton), 

 "swamps and river banks" (Gray), "river banks" (Wood), and 

 "fertile soil" (Cliapman). It has been previously reported that 

 this^species was found in Ohio last November. Several specimens 

 were found near the Ohio river in Adams county at the mouth of 

 Brush creek, and a few were seen in Brown county. In a little 

 ravine on Cedar creek, a tributary of Brush creek, in Adams county, 

 fourteen miles north of the Ohio river, an enormous number of 

 plants were growing. Some were nine to eleven inches in circum- 

 ference at the base and fourteen feet high. None occurred in 

 "swamps," though many were in "low grounds" where the soil 

 seemed to be fairly fertile. The majority were on rocky hillsides or 

 quite on the top of very high ground. The annexed cut shows a 



