304 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



sloughs or drains which carry water only in wet weather are com- 

 mon in some portions. 



Vegetation Types — The prevailing type of vegetation is open 

 pine woods subject to frequent fires, with a low shrubby and her- 

 baceous undergrowth, not very different from that of the strictly 

 non-calcareous flatwoods (regions 9, 16 and 19). But within a 

 few miles of the coast, and occasionally farther inland, the vegeta- 

 tion of the flatwoods, while having about the usual aspect, is quite 

 different in composition, including many plants which are known 

 or believed to prefer calcareous soils, and a few which are most 

 commonly found in or near brackish marshes. There is usuall) 

 nothing on the surface to indicate any reason for this fioristic differ- 

 ence, but a chemical examination of the ground-water in such places 

 ought to reveal something of interest.* In the absence of any def- 

 inite infoiTnation it is assumed that the soil in such places 

 is more calcareous than usual, and in the list below the plants char- 

 acteristic of such situations are assigned to "calcareous flatwoods." 

 In an extreme phase of the calcareous flatwoods trees are wanting, 

 and such places might be called savannas or prairies. 



Cypress ponds and bays similar to those already described are 

 frequent. Most of the streams and sloughs, of whatever size, are 

 bordered by low calcareous hammocks which are very characteris- 

 tic of this region. The coast, which is unique in having practically 

 no sandy beaches, as pointed out in the Third Annual Report (pp. 

 222-223! ), is bordered by marshes, which have been little studied 

 as yet. 1 



Plants — The following list is based on observations made on 

 12 different days, as follows : January, 3 ; March, 5 ; May, i ; June, 

 I ; July, I ; September, i. 



TREES 



44.1 Pinus palustris Long-leaf pine Uplands 



+ 11.7 Pinus Elliottii (Slash pine) Ponds, etc. 



— 5.9 Taxodiiim imbricarium (Pond) cypress Pondg and bays 



+ +4. 1 Taxodium distichum. Cypress Swamps and low ham- 



mocks 



4.1 Pinus Taeda Short-leaf pine Low hammocks, etc. 



+3.3 Sabal Palmetto Cabbage palmetto Low hammocks, etc. 



2.5 Liquidambar Styraciflua Sweet gum Low hammocks 



♦A chemical analysis of soil from such a place will be inserted in the 

 appendix if received in time. 



tSee also F. P. Gulliver, Proc. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. 24:23-235. 1899. 



