266 THE PLANT WORLD. 



turned edges of almost vertical strata of rotten gneiss exposed 

 in places. The slopes are similar but are covered with more or 

 less soil and humus, and are furrowed with numerous ravines. 



A stay of two or three hours on Bald Knob on December 9, 

 1905, revealed some interesting examples of succession of vege- 

 tation, with almost all gradations between the most xerophytic 

 and the most mesophytic types. The vegetation of the whole 

 hill, except a portion of the lower slopes close to the town, is 

 practically in a state of nature, and therefore in excellent con- 

 dition for study. 



Although the flora of the dry summits passes by imperceptible 

 gradations into that of the rich ravines, the whole can be grouped 

 into three fairly definite habitat elements, namely, the vegeta- 

 tion of summits, dry slopes or radial ridges, and ravines. In 

 each of the three following habitat lists the component species 

 are separated into trees, shrubs and herbs, and the members of 

 each of these three structural classes are arranged in order of 

 abundance, as nearly as could be determined with such a brief 

 examination. 



On the highest summits the following species were noticed : Trees — 

 Pinus palustris Mill., Qucrcns Cafcsbaci Mx., Q. Marylandica Muench., 

 Q. hrevifolia (Lam.), Sarg. ; Shrubs — Vaccinium nitidum Andr., Sym- 

 plocos tiiicforia (L.) L'Her.. Gaylussacia ditmosa (Andr.) T. & G., 

 Ceanothtis Amcricanus L. ; Herbs — Pteridium aqiiilinum (L.) Kuhn, 

 Afzelia cassioides (Walt.) Gmel., Cracca Virginiana L., Chrysopsis grami- 

 nifolia (Mx.) Nutt., Andropogon argyraeus Schult., Gcrardia sp., Lespe- 

 deza hirta (L.) Ell., Smilax pnmila Walt., Scricocarpus linifolius (L.) 

 BSP., Polygala Curfissii Gray ?, Coreopsis major Ocmlcri (Ell.) Britton. 



Of these Pinus palustris greatly exceeded in bulk all the rest of the 

 vegetation combined, but itself made a very open stand, so some idea of 

 the sparseness of the floral covering (from which the hill doubtless takes 

 its name) can be had. (See Fig. 44.) 



On the dry slopes, or ridges between the ravines, the following species 

 prevailed : Trees — Pinus echinata Mill., Qucrcus Marylandica Muench., 

 Q. prinus L., Q. velutina Lam., Q. minor (Marsh.) Sarg., Hicoria sp. ; 

 Shrubs — Batodcndron arborcum (Marsh.) Nutt., Ascyrum hypericoidcs 

 L. ?, Gelscmium scmpcrvircns (L.) Ait. f., Callicarpa Americana L. ; 

 Herbs — Chrysopsis graminifolia (Mx.) Nutt., Andropogon scoparius L., 

 Solidago odora L., Aster patens Ait., Meibomia sp., Chamaecrista sp., 

 Aristida purpurascens Poir., Kocllia incana (L.) Kuntze, Elcphantopus 

 tomcntosus L., Eupatorium aromaticum L., Mitchclla repens L., Antcnnaria 

 plantaginifolia (L.) Richards., Solidago petiolaris Ait. ?, Panicmn Porte- 



