BOTANICAL SURVEY— SUGAR GROVE REGION 269 



THE FORESTS 

 A. The Lowland Forest 



Tin H<ml()(k Forest. The deepest forest in the region is that 

 formed by the liemloek, which is most Inxnriant on the sides and bot- 

 toms of the deeper ravines sonth oi* (Uear Creek (fig. 11). Tho individual 

 hemlock trees are common enough all through the area, the pure hem- 

 lock forest is not found north of that stream. 



In its extreme form the hemlock forest is an unmixed association 

 of hemlocks, no other vascular plant but Tsitga canadensis being pres- 

 ent. More often, however, Betula Icnta is associated with Tsuga and 

 the ground is not bare 1 ut occupied by the yew (Ta.tus), and herbage 

 consisting of : 



Dryopteris spinulosum Mitchella re pens 



Lycopodium lucidulum Tiarella cordifolia 



There are also usually numerous seedlings of soft maple (Acer 

 rubnon). In almost all the forests, indeed, this species furnishes a 

 majority of the tree seedlings, but nowhere except in the bottom-land 

 majDle swamp do the full grown trees become at all abundant. While 

 maple seedlings seem to be better able to endure deep shading than 

 those of other forest trees, they do not seem to be able to compete with 

 them when, by a break in the forest canopy, a place is made for a new 

 tree. In the abundant illumination supplied by the displacement of 

 one of the original forest trees, other species are apparently able to 

 grow enough more rapidly to overcome the lead of the maple seedlings 

 already present and to succeed to the vacant place. 



Where the association begins to give way to the mixed deciduous 

 forest which usually adjoins it, a few beeches and maples usually come 

 in, and both underbrush and herbage become more abundant and varied, 

 the former consisting of : 



Partheno"issis quinquefolia Hammemelis virffiniand 



Fihurnum acerifolium Com us alternifolia 



While in the herbage appear: 



Viohi hlanda Medeola virginica 



Dryopteris spinulosum VnifoUnm canndense 



Feramium pubescens 



And in less typical portions are found : 



Dryopteris marginalis Cirraea aJpina 



Hepatica acuta Car ex plantaginea 



Actea alba Bantinculus recurvatus 



Arisaema triphyllum Asarum sp. 



