84 I'LANT T.Il-'K OK AI-AIiAM A. 



j^loiiUTiitt's of tlic Coal Measures, lisr to an clrNalioii of fidiii l.'J(M»(() 

 l,a(>(» ft'ft al>o\»' sea Icm'I. 'I'licir suiimiils. sprcadiii*; into taMr-hiiicls 

 of ('onii)arali\t'ly limited cxtnit. suppoit a inofe varied and lieavier 

 trc(> ufow til than tlie taide-lands of the \\'an'ior basin. dilVerinj,'' chielly 

 l»y the total absence of pines and tli«^ appearance of species connnon 

 also to the forests of the Ohio Valley, and as yet not o))servod in other 

 parts of the State. Oaks form the ])re(lominatin<i' forest jj^rowth of 

 these highlands white oak, mountain oak. and tine black oak. A.s 

 obsorx'cd on Monte Sano and the adjoinine- ridj^n's. the typical sugar 

 maple {Acer saccharvm) of the North is not i-arely met with on the 

 smumit and the hiirhest flanks in the richest s])ots. Its variety {Acer 

 Kticclnifuiii h<(i'h(ifi(iii) with smaller and sharper-lol)ed leaves, is more 

 frequent and is widely diffused over the rocky hills which extend south- 

 ward to the tertiai-y rido-es of the UppcM- Division of the coast pine 

 belt, associated with the cucum])er tree, silver-leaf linden {Tilia hetero- 

 j)/it/I/a), and sweet l)ucke\^e {Aescultis octmidrd). A group of fine trees 

 of this last species, which is rare in Alabama, was observed on a ter- 

 race of rich soil a short distance below the brow of Monte Sano. The 

 trees measured from 25 to 30 inches in diameter and from 75 to 85 feet 

 in height. This truly Allegh(>nian type, extending from the head- 

 waters of the Ohio River in Pennsylvania along the mountains to the 

 northwestern corner of Georgia, finds its southern limit at this point. 



The vallevs skirting the detached spurs of the Cumberland Moun- 

 tains are for the greater part still covered with the original forest, 

 which is practically untouched by the ax. It can be said that a consid- 

 erable portion of the most valuable hardwood timber found in the State 

 is hidden in these secluded valleys — as, for example, in the valley of 

 the Paintrock River. It is stated that in this valley, of about 35 miles 

 in length, the tulip tree or 3'ellow^ poplar {Lirlodendron tuUpifera) 

 abounds in its largest dimensions, with white oak, linden, white ash, 

 large sassafras, and black walnut, and with red cedar of superior qual- 

 ity occupying the damp rocky r(>cesses. 



The ridges of Subcar})onif erous limestone rarely exceed an elevation 

 of 1,200 feet. Their tree growth is the same as that of the forests 

 which cover the gentler slopes of the limestone ledges cropping out 

 beneath the sandstones which cap the summit of the higher ranges. 

 On the flanks, with a deeper soil covering, the tulip tree becomes more 

 frequent among the oaks, associated with the maples mentioned, and, 

 more rarely, with white ash and shell-bark hickory {Ilicoria ovata). 

 Black walnut {Jugla/tis nigra) and wild cherry {Prunus serotind) are but 

 rarely found even on the richest spots. Fetid buckeye (Aesctdtts gla- 

 hra) is of rather rare occurrence on the more exposed slopes of the cal- 

 careous hills, and red cedar is mingled with the hard- wood trees. Of 

 the trees of smaller size, the American smoke tree {CotinuH cotinoides) 

 makes its appearance on the calcareous summits and upon the shelves 



