FOEESTS OF LOWER HILLS AND LOWLANDS. 109 



the arid surface soil, spreading over a large part of western Florida 

 and southern Georgia. These are covered by very open pine barrens, 

 and the latter are inhabited by a number of peculiar herbaceous species. 

 Most widely diffused and abundant are: 



Aristida siricta. Koellia nuda. 



Panicum xanthospermum. Ceranthera linifoliu. 



Eriogonum. tomentosum. Chrysopsis hyssopifolia. 



Coleosanthus cordatus. Eupaforium leptophyllum,. 



Eupatorium torlifolium. Eupatorium coronopifolium. 

 Eupatorlum lecheaefolium. 



Aristida stricta (wire grass) will be spoken of later as an inhabitant 

 of the Lower Pine belt. These and other species common to this 

 region and the dry pine barrens farther south form a scanty covering 

 for the barren sands. 



Mesophile forests. — On the lower flanks of the ridges and on the 

 lower hills of the Central Pine region the short-leaf pine mingles with 

 the long-leaf species and with the frequently named upland oaks and 

 hickories, chinquapin {Castanea j^umUfi)-, and bass wood (7i7/a hetero- 

 phylla). As the declivities merge into the narrow valleys with a 

 fresher soil more retentive of moisture, mesophile species gradually 

 gain the upper hand. Representative trees are: 



Magnolia foetida (magnolia). Pirn is glabra (Southern spruce pine) . 



Magnolia maavphylia (large-leaf cucum- Quercus nigra (water oak) . 



ber tree) . Quercus laurijolia (laurel oak) . 

 Fagus americana (beech) . 



There is a variety of shrubs in the openings and along the borders 

 of the forest, among which are: 



Styrax grandifolia (large-leaved storax A esculus pavi a {red hnckeye) . 



bush) . I/ex longipes (holly) . 



Illicium floridanum {sweet iWicium) . Butneria {Calycanthus) fiorida, (Carolina 

 AesaUus parviflora (white-flowered buck- allspice, lowland calycanthus) . 



eye) . Chionanthus virginica (fringe tree) . 



The first of these is frequent in the Louisianian area from North 

 Carolina to Louisiana. In these mesophile forests the same species of 

 the liana formation which prevail in the Central Prairie region are 

 equally frequent. To the small shrubby climbers are to be added 

 Clemath cateshaei^ rare from lower South Carolina to Florida and 

 known in Alabama only from the vicinit}^ of Suggsville, Clarke Count}'; 

 C. reticulata^ infrequent from South Carolina to Texas; C. oris^pa^ fre- 

 quent on low, damp banks southward to the coast plain; and, finally, the 

 3'ellow jessamine (Gelsemium), in damp and dry situations throughout 

 the Maritime Pine belt. 



Meso2yhile and paludial forests of the lowlands. — The lowlands of the 

 flood plain of the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers and of their larger 

 tributaries are heavily timbered. Their first terrace, ov^erflowed only 



