A BOTANIST'S DAY ON MT. WASHINGTON Jij 



dance of Solidago alpestris*, which it is difficult to believe separate 

 from some of our Mt. Mansfield varieties of Virgaiirca. 



On the trap dyke near the path up the cliffs about two-thirds the 

 way up, as Dr. Kennedy informed me afterwards, we could have col- 

 lected an abundance of that rare and minute moss Brachyodiis tricho- 

 des, but in our ignorance we passed it by. Nabalus Boottii and 

 Arenaria Grcenlandica^ were two old friends that were abundant on 

 the mountain in various places. The latter was abundantly infested 

 with the Ustilago violacea (Pers.) Winter, that is so common and so 

 destructive on Mt. Mansfield. 



We reached the summit at 8:20 a. m. and after seeing the views 

 and giving an account of ourselves for publication in the Above the 

 Clouds (which by the way is printed by the aid of a linotype machine 

 of the latest make), we warmed ouj- chilled perspiration by the print- 

 ing press boiler and started out to explore Grand Gulf, a yawning 

 abyss between Mt. Washington and the remainder of the Presidential 

 Range. Here we hoped to collect Salix Jierbacea and were anxious 

 lest we might miss it. We need not have feared, the soil was one un- 

 broken mat of it for rods. It was, however, some trouble to get good 

 specimens on account of the ravages of a rust [Melainpsora arctica 

 Rostrup), and a small beetle that seemed to feed exclusively on the 

 foliage of this plant. Salix itva-m'si was also abundant but less so 

 than 5. herbacea. In the damp places beside the rivulets were large 

 quantities of Epilobiiim palustre, L. forma Labradorica, Haussk. 



In the rivulets was Saxifraga rnnclaris*, looking as unlike our 

 alpine Saxifrages as possible with its thin, three-lobed leaves and 

 slender stems. Here was an abundance of Cardaviiiic bcllidifolia^, 

 also growing in wet places. 



Other plants of interest collected here were Festuca ovina vivipara, 

 BryantJins taxifolms, Cassiope hypnoides, and Luzula arcuata growing 

 in company with L. spicata from which it differs but little, having 

 stalked, slightly arcuate spikes instead of sessile, drooping ones. 

 PolygotiuDi viviparuiii was another of our Mt. Mansfield friends dwell- 

 ing here. 



As we failed to rnake the second ascent planned for the next day, 

 the mosses were collected with care in Grand Gulf only. Here near 

 the upper rim of the Gulf were collected Dicrannui fiillvelliini and D. 

 scJiisti (Gunn.) Lindb., both growing in crevices in the moist cliffs; 

 also Conostoimnn boreale with its peculiar bluish-green, angular stems 

 and Bartramia-like capsules. On the wet banks of the rivulets or 

 growing on stones in the water were Racovntrium fasciculare, Hylo- 

 comiuvi sqiiarrosinn, Gymnocybe turgida (Wahlen.) Lindb., Hypniiin 

 fluitans, var., H. dilatatuin^il^. (which has usually been incorrectly 



