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OUTLINE OF PLANT GEOGRAPHY 



The northern Maine coast and the adjacent islands have a 

 distinctly northern, almost sub-arctic flora, the forest being pre- 

 dominantly coniferous with a small admixture of such deciduous 

 trees as birches and poplars, and an undergrowth of such 



boreal plants as Linnaea, dwarf 

 cornel (Cornus Canadensis), 

 gold-thread (Coptis), and bush 

 maples. 



The coast is a very rugged 

 one, with rocky headlands and 

 reefs, sand dunes and extensive 

 beaches, and in places with 

 sandy moorlands and swamps. 

 In the low forest near the coast 

 in Massachusetts, pitch pine 

 (Pinus rigida) is common, and 

 red cedar (Juniper us Virgin- 

 iana), with oaks, maples, and 

 other deciduous trees. 



The sandy moorlands harbor 

 many interesting and beautiful 

 plants. On Nantucket Island 

 where this moorland is devel- 

 oped on a large scale three 

 species of heaths are found, 

 the common heather (Calluna 

 vulgaris) and two species of true 

 heaths (Erica), the latter un- 

 known elsewhere in America, and perhaps introduced from Europe. 

 Characteristic plants of the moors and forest belt of the New 

 England coast, are several others of the heath family, e. g., bear- 

 berry (Arctostaphyios uva-ursi), Kalmia, huckleberries, trail- 

 ing arbutus (Epigaea repens), Azalea and wintergreen (Gaul- 

 theria procumbens) . Roses, huckleberries, wax-berry (Myrica 

 Carolinensis), wild plums and cherries, service-berry (Ame- 

 lanchier) Spiraea, and sumac, are among the common shrubs 

 of the New England coast. In some of the swamps north of 

 Boston, the sweet-bay (Magnolia glauca) occurs, its northern 

 limit. A number of beautiful orchids, as well as many other 



Fig. 17. — Arbor vitae swamp, Douglas 

 Lake, Michigan. Photo., Dr. F. C. Gates. 



