Hill: Penobscot Plants. 279 



occurrence of arctic plants in ISTew Brunswick. In 1894 

 Rand and Redfield emphasized the presence of l3oreal species 

 on Mount Desert and the Cranberry Isles^, and more recently 

 Dr. George G. Kennedy noted their existence at Cutler.' 

 Careful observations on the part of other botanists have re- 

 sulted in a considerable increase in the number of species and 

 an extension of their ranges toward the south. 



In 1910 Fernald and Wiegand^ writing of conditions in 

 Washington County, Maine, stated that "in general this nar- 

 row coastal sub-arctic strip extends along the outer mainland 

 and islands to Great Cranberry Isle, and in less pronounced 

 development to Monhegan and even beyond." 



The reason for this less pronounced development is readily 

 apparent. Eastward from ]\rount Desert the shores of the 

 mainland itself are bold and have a full exposure to the cold 

 sea, while the outlying islands are comparatively near at 

 hand. Consequently it is possible for these boreal plants to 

 have a fairly continuous distribution along this part of the 

 coast. West of Mount Desert, however, the mainland is 

 many miles from the open ocean, owing to the deep indenta- 

 tion made by Penobscot Bay. The proper habitat for these 

 species in this region is found only on the fringe of outer 

 islands which are extremely isolated from the mainland and 

 from one another. As a result, many species, such as 

 Scirpus cciesintosus, Monfia lamprosperma and Rubus 

 Chamaemorus, wdiich extend to Mount Desert or the neigh- 



1. Matthew. On the Occurrence of Arctic and Western Plants in 



Continental Acadia. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. New Brunswick. 

 April 13, 1869. 



2. Rand & Redfield. Flora of :\Iount Desert Island, Maine, p. 21. 



Cambridge. 1894. 



3. Kennedy. The Maine Coast at Cutler. Rhodora 4: 23-26 (1902). 



4. Fernald & Wiegand. A Summer's Botanizing in Eastern Maine 



and Wesern New Brunswick. Rhodora 12: 101-121, 133-146 

 (1910). 



