TREES AND SHRUBS OF PRAIRIE REGION. 



101 



of succeeding generations, notably on a plantation near Faunsdale, 

 Dallas County. Generalh'^ this tree has disappeared with the oak forest 

 on the fertile lands, and is at present found only in the small groves 

 of oaks saved from destruction to shade the grounds around the dwell- 

 ings of the planters. The nutmeg hickory, when full grown, resembles 

 the shagbark hickory" in its pale, shreddy bark, but it is readily dis- 

 tinguished from the latter b}^ the silvery hue of the lower surface of 

 the leaves and the smaller fruit, with a thin epicarp inclosing the per- 

 fectly smooth nut, which simulates the nutmeg in size and shape. By 

 the discovery of the nutmeg hickory in this region, and of its exten- 

 sion into Mississippi, the northern limit of the distribution of this tree 

 from the Atlantic slope in South Carolina to Texas and northern 

 Mexico, following with hardh" any deviation, the same parallel of lati- 

 tude, is now clearl}^ established. 



Of trees of smaller size the pawpaw {Asimina triloba)^ red bud {Cer- 

 cis canadensis)^ Carolina buckthorn {RlMmnus caroliniaiui)^ and of 

 shrubs the spice bush {Benzoin {Laurus) henzoin)^ form the undergrowth 

 and frequent the openings. Vitis aestivalis^ the vigorous summer 

 grape, Vitis chierea^ Vitis rotundifolia^ the slender-stemmed bullace 

 grape, and the supple jack {BercJwmia voluhilis)^ ascend the highest 

 trees without visible support below the lofty summits, where these 

 members of the liana formation spread out their branches, and under 

 a fuller exposure to the sun unfold their flowers and ripen their fruit. 

 With these are associated a number of others of the same plant 

 formation, namely: 



Bignonia crueigera (cross vine) . Ampelopsis arborea ( Vitis bipinnata Torr. 



Parthenocis.ms quiiiquefoUa (Virginia & Gr.) (pepperidge vine). 



creeper) . Ampelopsis cordata. 

 Tecoma radicans (trumpet vine) . 



These vigorous woody climbers cover with their festoons the borders 

 of these forests as it were with an impenetrable curtain of green. 

 Smaller woody and herbaceous perennial climbers entangling the 

 bushes and smaller trees are: 



Smilnx bona-nox (greenbrier) . 

 Smilax laurifolia (greenbrier) . 

 Smilax lanceolata (greenbrier) . 

 Brunnichia cirrhosu . 



CebaUia Carolina. 

 Anstolochia tomentosa. 

 Calycocarpum lyonii (cup vine) . 

 Schizundra cocdnea. 



The last is a type of the Louisianian area, sparsely distributed from 

 South Carolina to northwestern Louisiana. Nowhere is the poison 

 ivy {Rhus radicans) found of more luxuriant growth and in greater 

 abundance than in the openings of the damp forests. Taking a firm 

 hold in the bark of trees with its innumerable rootlets, the stem creeps 

 up to the top of the highest trunks, which are completely hidden by 

 the long horizontal branches of this creeper when covered with their 

 soft, rich foliage. 



