FLORA OF WASHINGTON AND VICINITY. 25 



a small swamp a quarter of a mile beyond and to the eastward. Here 

 on the dry ground have been found Onosmodium Virginianuin, Clitoria 

 Mariana, and Habenaria lacera, while in the swaraiJ occur Aster wstivus, 

 Solidago stricta, Woodwardia Virginica, Asclepias rubra, Poteriiim Cana- 

 dense, and numerous other plants rare or absent in other localities. 



5. The Reform ScJiool Region. 



This locality is A^ery limited in extent but has proved one of the most 

 fertile in botanical rarities. Its nucleus consists of a little swampy spot 

 a short distance to the south of the National Eeform School, in which is 

 located a beautiful spring ; but the woody tract of country surrounding 

 this and stretching southward and eastward some distance has also 

 proved very fruitful. In the different portions of this region have been 

 discovered Phlox maculata, Melanthium Virginicum, Bartonia tenella^ 

 Lespedeza Stuvei, Besmodium Marylandicum and B. ciliare, Buchnera 

 Americana, Fimbristylis capillaris, Quercus prinoides, Carex bullata, 

 Habenaria eiliaris, and Gentiana ochroleuca, most of which do not occur 

 at all elsewhere. 



6. The Holmead Swamp Region. 



Like the last, this locality is quite circumscribed in area, but like it, 

 too, it is rich in interesting plants. It occupies a ravine leading to 

 Piney Branch from the east, at the point where the continuation of 

 Fourteenth street crosses that stream. The road connecting the last 

 named with the Eock Creek Church road, and which is called S]>ring 

 Street, follows this valley. The collecting- grounds are on the south side 

 of this road and in the spl-ingy meadow along the rill. The timber has 

 long been cut off but the boggy character of the ground has thus far 

 protected it from cultivation. The pasturing of animals on it during a 

 portion of the year has latterly become a serious detriment to the growth 

 of plants. Mr. Holmead, who owns it and lives near by, has kindly 

 permitted botanists to investigate it for their purposes. Here have 

 been found Ludwigia hirsuta, Brosera rotundifoUa, Asclepias rubra, Xyris 

 Jlexuosa, Fuirena squarrosa, Rhynchospora alba, Coreopsis discoidea, and 

 the beautiful Calopogon pulchellus, the most showy of our orchids. 



In addition to these specially fertile tracts, there are many other 

 localities of great interest where valuable accessions to our flora have 

 been made, and which will be particularly designated under the names 

 of these species. It will suffice here to mention a wet meadow between 

 the i^ational Driving Park and Bladensburg, where, in a very diminu- 



