CULTIVATED PLANTS OF THE TABLE-LANDS. 79 



Of these the first is the most prominent, frequenting springy, rocky 

 banks and dripping ledges, and the others are all more or less frequent 

 in simihir localities throughout the mountain region. Snrracenia cates- 

 hael and Isoetes engeliTianni valida are paludial plants so far only known 

 in the State from the l)anks of Little River near De Soto Falls. There 

 occurs also Danthoiila (jJahra^ a most rare plant, lately described, from 

 upper Georgia (Nash), with DantJionla compresm, and Deschampsia 

 fjexiLom^ so far not yet reported from any other locality in the State, 

 while Carex v/resceNs, TlareJ/c vordifoUa^ Ascleplas qnadrifolio., and 

 Asarum macranthum frequent the rocky dells and more or less open 

 copses. The tiny Arefiarla Tn'evifolia^ known from a few localities in 

 upper Georgia and the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, roots in 

 crevices of rocks among the dark-green cushions of mosses (Grimmia, 

 Hedwigia), Avith the three-leaf stonecrop {Sednni ternatuiu) and the 

 round-leaf talinum {Talhiam teretifolluiii)^ a fleshy perennial with 

 rose-purple flowers adorning exposed rocks in the mountains north- 

 ward to Pennsylvania. On the exposed rocks close to the edge and 

 above the falls of Little River dense tufts of flliform leaves produced 

 l)y a many-branched rootstock deeply sunk in the crevices attract the 

 attention. Specimens of this plant in flower obtained in September 

 proved to be ChondropJioni vliyata (BigeloA'ia Nutt). The identity of 

 our plant with NuttalFs specimens is, however, not free from doubt. 

 In the type collected by Nuttall in lower New Jersey and preserved in 

 the Herl)arium of the Academy of Sciences at Philadelphia the radical 

 leaves, which furnish the decisiA'e character, are wanting; furthermore, 

 the similarity to Evtham k( grain ui Ifol la ascribed by Nuttall to his type 

 is not recognized in our plant. The locality quoted by Nuttall is also 

 doul)tful, his plant having never been found afterwards, although the 

 ground has been closelv investigated by later botanists. 



Under the umbrageous cover of the high forest on the upper flanks of 

 the mountain, in the deep soil, rich in humus, tall umbelliferous herbs 

 are conspicuous, among which are Llguxt'icuiri canadense^ frequent 

 throughout the mountains northward to Pennsylvania, Tliasjnuni pln- 

 vidlfidum^ and Thmpluin harhinode^ which extends north to the Ohio 

 Valley. Together with these occur O.ndls grandts^ Polygonatinu coni- 

 tiudidutii^ wideh' distributed through the Alleghenian area, Trillium 

 xfijlosnui of the southern Appalachian ranges, and Cypidpediuin acaide^ 

 found in more open boggy places. 



Cult a rid plant associations. — Scarceh" 20 per cent of the area of the 

 table-lands is reduced to a state of cultivation; the rest consists of 

 more or less devastated woodlands and of high forests, which, how- 

 ever, near the settlements and highways of commerce are largely 

 stripped of merchantable timber and are sufl'ering from the inroads of 

 fire and cattle. 



Scarceh more than a (^[uarter of a century ago, before these table- 



