266 OHIO BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



this region. I>ii1 now ail of the Hood-plains not under cultivation are 

 occupied l)y the usual mixed association of deciduous trees, dominate!] 

 by the willows (principally Saiix nigra) and the sycamore, together 

 with coarse weeds, such as Ambrosia trifida, and various composites. 

 Although birches are conunon along the streams from Laurel Kun south- 

 ward, it is only in the canyon of Queer Creek that anything like an 

 unspoiled birch bottom can be found, and even here the undisturbed 

 association remains in only a veiy limited area — less than an acre all 

 told — and there is a considerable admixture of species which were not 

 present in the association in primeval times. 



The land is flat, with numerous shallow pools furnishing breeding 

 places for salamanders, etc. The soil is almost pure sand, with littk 

 humus, most of the organic matter being in the foi'm of undecayed 

 particles of wood. 



The two birches, Betula littea and B. Jenia, are both abundant, 

 the former occupying nearly one-half of the area (tig. 10), while the 

 river birch, B. nigra, occurs on the edge overhanging the stream. To- 

 gether with these are scattered individuals of hemlock (Tsuga) and 

 beech, (Fagus). Along the water's edge, where the light is stronger, 

 are some other trees which are probably intruders since the days of 

 floods. These are: Ash {Fraxinus americana), sycamore (Platanus) , 

 basswood {Tilia), butternut {J iigJans cinerea), blue beech {Carpinus), 

 and red maple (Acer ruhrum): The underbrush is made up of yew 

 (Taxus), with some witch hazel {Hammcmelis) and spice bush (Ben- 

 zoin). 



The real character of the herbage is very difficult to determine, 

 for there is an admixture of all sorts of plants from almost all possible 

 associations, especially weeds whose seeds are continually brought in by 

 the stream. One cannot be sure which to eliminate as intruders, since 

 there are no other areas to use for comparison. The following list, 

 however, seems to include most of the characteristic plants : 



Circara lutctiana Circaea alpiiui 



Dryopteris spinulosurn Dryoptcris mnrginale 



Lycopodium lucidulum CatTirinea sp. 



To these must be added the Virginia creeper (ParUKnocissHs) 

 which is common but so small that it must be classed as an herb, seldom 

 rising off the ground. This plant might be described as waiting round 

 for an opportunity to assert itself. The weak light that reaches it is 



