14 PLANT LIFP: of ALABAMA. 



features of tht^ vcirotatioii prcxMilidL"" in tlio tlortil rc^Lrions travorsed. 

 Ho p:iss«Ml tlirouu'li the suhti-opical /one. rt'c()«ifiiiz('(.l Ity the loiijx wrcatlo 

 of tho Spanisli moss invcstiiiM- the liuj^'-c liiiihs of vcncrahl** (>verixr<'tMi 

 oaks (tlif laurel oak. ineiitiout'd liy liiiii as (Jinri-n-s /ifi/iJsp/m<Tir(i). ami 

 hiij^e niaj^niolias. with the C'retae«'oiis ])laiM l>efore him, which tlie trav- 

 eler deseril)es as a eouiitry with a rich hhick soil I'estinj^' upon a chalky 

 testaceous limestone clad with tall urass(\s and a \ariety of other herh- 

 age. most conspicuous anion*:- it tall rosinwecnls (.S/Vy ;////////). with tiieir 

 large spikes of golden yellow flowers and a resinous su))stance exuding 

 from the bruises and splits of the stem; heyond the ])lains a hrokiMj 

 groiuul of hills and vales covered with forests of statt ly trees — locust 

 (designated as Kohinia. but most likidy th«' lion(>y locust), linden, mul- 

 berry. elm. hickory, and t)lack walmit. with the Southern crabapple, dog- 

 wood, and redbudfor the smaller tree growth: further south a generally 

 level plain, with a lighter soil, pebbles and sand mixing with the surface 

 soil, covered with an open forest of oak. hickories, ash. red buckeye, 

 and the smaller trees mentioned above, associated with an abundance 

 of chestnut^ and with pines (/V/zw-s' hitea^ i. e., short-leaf pine, I*/)i)is 

 echinata) interrupted l)y expansive cane meadows and detached groves, 

 in strong contrast with the gravelly and rocky hills and vales support- 

 ing the forests mentioned above. The traveler s])eaks enthusiastically 

 of the dense cool groves of dogwood and of the fragrant groves of 

 sweet illicium and odorous calycanthus or spicewood covering the 

 higher banks of the streams, together with the beautiful Ilalesla dlp- 

 tera (silver bells, Mohrodendron)^ stuartia, storax bushes, azaleas, and 

 particularly Magnolia aurh-ulata (undoubtedly meaning MagnnJIa 

 macropliylla)^ all overtowered b}' the stately largc-Howered magnolia 

 {Magnolia foetida). Across the Shambee (Escambia) River the coun- 

 try is described as low and open, descending for the next 80 miles 

 to the southeast, exhibiting a landscape ditierent from others, not 

 unlike the low country of the Carolinas, consisting of grassy savan- 

 nas, intersected by narrow forests along the water courses, hiunmocks, 

 and swamps, with long-leaved pines ''scatteringly planted among the 

 grass, associated on the higher knolls and swells with barren oaks," 

 the rivulets rumiing swiftly over their gravelly ))eds. their banks 

 adorned with evergreen andromedas, American olive, illicium, hollies, 

 sweet bay, and azaleas. Descending to the lowlands toward the bay 

 of Mobile, "cane swamps alternate with pine-clad knolls." Tensas, 

 situated on the eastern arm of the great Mobile River, on a high bluH', 

 about 30 miles above Fort Conde and the city of Mobile, was reached 

 in the early days of August (1777). After a short visit to Mobile 

 Bartram returned to Tensas, where he obtained a canoe and explored 



^ The existence of the chestnut in the Upper Division of the Coast Pine belt is at 

 present in some parts onlv indicatt-il by the larcro etu'.nps. which have during the long 

 periods of time resisted decay. 



