GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA 



91 



HERBS 



Tillandsia usueoides 

 Aristida stricta 

 -Cladlnm effusum 

 P ter oca 11 1 o n u n d u I,; 1 1 u ni 

 Juncus Boemerlanus 

 Sagittaria lancifolia 

 Iris versicolor 

 Tillandsia tenuifolia 

 (Eupatoriuni capillifolium) 

 Saururus cernuus 

 Spartina Bakeri 

 (Piaropus crassipes) 

 Carphephorus corymbosus 

 Pontederia cordata 

 Nymphaea macrophylla 

 Mesosphaerum rugosum 

 Polypodium polypodioides 

 Rhynchospora miliacea 

 Dilitoliella repens 

 Pistia spathulata 

 Senecio lobatus 

 Tubiflora Caroliuensis 



About 75% of the large trees and shrubs, but not so many of 

 the small trees and vines, are evergreen. 



Fisheries. The shallow rock-bottomed waters of the Gulf ad- 

 jacent to this region afford a favorable habitat for many kinds of 

 fish. Besides the ordinary commercial fisheries, the region is visit- 

 ed in winter by many persons from outside the state who fish for 

 sport. Homosassa is a favorite winter resort for Georgia fisher- 

 men. The sponges brought in to Cedar Keys and Tarpon Springs 

 (which are in other regions) must also be counted among the sub- 

 marine resources of the Gulf hammock region. The bird guano 

 industry is described in the chapter on animals. 



Population. This region does not cover enough of Levy, Citrus, 

 Hernando and Pasco Counties to enable us to get any accurate 

 statistics of the coastal portion from census reports, but the por- 

 tion along the Withlacoochee River is approximately coextensive 

 with Sumter County. Previous to 1887, when it was reduced to its 

 present size, that county included a considerable part of the lake 

 region also, so that census returns from it for earlier periods have 

 little geographical value. The number of inhabitants per square 

 mile increased gradually from 9.1 in 1*890 to 14. i in 1920. None 

 of the population is classed as urban by the U. S. census, but 20.4^ 

 of the people were living in incorporated places at the time of the 

 state census of 1915. In 1910 about 66% of the population was 

 native white, 0.4% foreign white, and 33.7% of African descent. 

 At the same time 3% of the native whites over 10 years old, none ot 

 the foreign whites, and 26.9% of the negroes were unable to read 

 and write. 



