PLANT DISTRIBUTION OF MT. WASHINGTON 257 



Tuckerman's Ravine, and Oakes gulf. The vegetation was most luxu- 

 riant about the streamlets that trickle down the slope at the head of 

 Tuckerman's Ravine. Here at an elevation of 5300 or 5400 feet 

 the bright green plaited leaves of Veratrum viride Ait. and the tall 

 stems and large umbels of the cow-parsnip (Heracleum lanatum 

 Michx.) first caught the eye. The two species of twisted-stalk 

 (Streptopus amplexifolius (L.) DC. and S. roseus Michx.) were both 

 abundant ; while Castilleja pallida L., var. septentrionalis (Lindl.) Gray, 

 raised its creamy blossoms everywhere. A little farther down the 

 fragrant spikes of Habenaria dilitata (Pursh.) Gray were found in the 

 shade of the Veratrum. Spircea salicifolia L., the meadow sweet, was 

 also noted here. Of the smaller plants the yellow rays of the arnica 

 {Arnica mollis Hook., var. petiolaris Fernald) and the bright blue flow- 

 ers of Veronica alpina L.,var. unalaschensis C. and S., were conspicuous. 

 In moist grassy places everywhere on the mountain Houstonia ccerulea 

 grew luxuriantly, although it belied its name by bearing pure white 

 flowers without a trace of blue. (It is now known as variety Faxanorum 

 Rose and Moore.) The sleeping position of this plant was interesting. 

 The flowers were partly closed and bent down on their slender stems, 

 all turning in the same direction, to the northeast in all the plants 

 we examined. The Northern chickweed (Stellar ia borealis Bigel), 

 Epilobium Hornemanni Reichenb., Polygonum viviparum L., the 

 mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill), and the little alpine violet 

 (Viola paluslris L.) were collected in or along the brooks, as were also 

 the less common alpine cress (Cardamine bellidifolia L., var. laxa 

 Lange) and the rare Saxifraga rivularis L. 



Of the plants usually found at a much lower altitude we noted the 

 gold-thread (Coptis trifolia (L.) Salisb.) still in bloom, Ranunculus 

 abortivus L., Rubus triflorus Richards, Trientalis americana (Pers.) 

 Pursh., Ribes lacustre (Pers.) Poor, Ledum grcenlandicum Oeder., and 

 Clintonia borealis (Ait.) Raf. In all our descents Aspidium spinu- 

 losum (O. P. Miiller) Sw. was the first fern to make its appearance 

 at an altitude of over 5000 feet, Phegopteris poly podioides Fee. the 

 second, and Asplenium Filix-famiina (L.) Bernh. the third. 



The conditions seemed very similar on all parts of the summit, yet 

 many of the alpine and subalpine species were very locally distributed. 

 For example, among the willows, Salix herbacea L. was exceedingly 

 common in the Great gulf, but was only represented elsewhere by a 



