The American Botanist 



VOL. XVI 



JOLIET, ILL., MAY, 1910 



No. 2 



' 3^is like the birthday of the world 



"When Q>unth was born in bloom; 

 t/he light is made of many dyes, 

 %/he air is all perfume. 



Uhere' s crimson hues, and white and blue; 



tJhe very rainbow showers 

 ZHaue turned to blossoms where they fell 



•^nd sown the Qiarth with flowers. 



— Hood. 



C5 



THE PLANTS OF THE SAND BARRENS. 



By Willard N. Clute. 



OF the three groups into which the botanist divides 

 the plant world on a basis of habitat, the meso- 

 phytes are by far the most abundant and least at- 

 tractive. As the name indicates they are the middle 

 plants — those exposed to no extremes of moisture or 

 dryness — and, like people whose existence moves along 

 in well ordered ways, the story of their lives is likely to 

 be humdrum. If we read biography we wish an account of 

 stirring adventures, successful campaigns and difficult tasks 

 accomplished. It is much the same with plants. There are 

 many species among the mesophytes, the plants of our 

 meadows, stream-banks and woods, well-worthy of notice but 

 for real interest we must turn to the hydrophytes of xero- 

 phytes. Here we have plants of extremes and like all other 

 living things, when in extremity they are likely to do the ex- 

 traordinary. The hydrophytes are water plants and the varia- 

 tions they show us are mainly due to their attempts to cope 

 with too much moisture. It is usually easier, however, to get 

 along with too much of a good thing than not enough, and we 



