42 H. B. HUMPHREY AND J. E. WEAVER 



would be the most satisfactory place to carry on a study of the 

 problem of natural reforestation. The region was not visited 

 during the summer of 1911, hence a complete account of the 

 plant successions and list of species can not be furnished. But 

 observations made on east, north and northwest slopes on May 

 25, 1912, established the fact that in all probability Funaria 

 hygrometrica and Marchantia polymorpha were among the very 

 first of the pioneers to help reclaim the unshaded and charred 

 soil. It was also possible to identify the following angiosperms 

 of the preceding year's growth: Carduus breweri, Erigeron sp., 

 Epilobium anguslifolium, Arnica cordifolia, Salix sp., Physo- 

 carpus pauciflorus, and Erythronium grandiUorum. It is not 

 unlikely that other more perishable species were present, but 

 identifiable remains were quite wanting. 



Plants observed on May 25, 1912, and belonging to the 

 1912 growth were the following: predominant everywhere, 

 Epilobium anguslifoliwn, individuals of which varied in size 

 from that of mere seedlings to plants 12 to 18 inches in height. 

 These (fire weeds) often occur as abundantly as 34 individuals 

 per square meter, and certainly do much toward reducing light 

 intensities and evaporation. Thousands of the smallest of 

 these were succumbing to an epidemic of Aecidium. Other 

 herbaceous plants observed were Carduus breweri, everywhere 

 abundant; and here, as observed elsewhere, one of the first 

 seed plants to secure a footing in forest burns. Associated 

 with Epilobium and Carduus were Erigeron acris, Arnica cordi- 

 folia, Anlennaria luzuloides, and Salix scouleriana. These spe- 

 cies all depend upon wind for seed distribution; and doubtless 

 this accounts in some measure for the fact that they are among 

 the very first seed plants to take possession of fire devastated 

 areas. 



Every inch of ground seemed to be occupied by Funaria, a 

 plant of very considerable importance to the complete develop- 

 ment of other forms, because of the double role it plays in the 

 conservation of soil moisture and the formation of humus. 



Other plants were Physocarpus pauciflorus, Rosa gymnocarpa, 

 Poienlilla sp., Mitella stauropeiala (abundant), Lepiotaenia mul- 



