1924J PALMER, THE LIGNEOUS FLORA OF RICH MOUNTAIN 1» 



the Mauraelle, Magazine, and Cavanal Mountains, all of which it has been 

 my pleasure to view and explore botanically during the past few years. 

 The Indians and game which this famous early traveler so interestingly 

 described are gone, and the land speculators, whom he mentions as already 

 busy in his day, have passed also with their schemes into the limbo of the 

 lost, although their tribe has not failed of increase. But the mountains 

 remain in outline just as he saw them, with their flora at least intact and 

 with their general aspect but lightly touched by the hand of time. 



The hills and mountains of this part of the Ozark region are, as has 

 been indicated, the result of the combined action of upthrow and erosion, 

 their position and general character having been determined by lines of 

 faulting which brought to the surface the thicker and more resistant 

 strata. While naturally varying widely as to size and form, they may, in 

 regard to the latter, be roughly grouped into three classes. First may be 

 mentioned the isolated pointed or narrowly conical peaks, typically repre- 

 sented by the Maumelles, near Little Rock, and Pilot Knob, in Scott 

 County, Arkansas. A second type is that of the flat-topped or table 

 mountain, with considerable areas of comparatively level land at their 

 summits. Magazine Mountain, in Logan County, Arkansas, is the 

 best example of this class, and to it also belong the Short Mountains in 

 Scott and Franklin Counties, as well as many others. The third and by 

 far the commonest form is that of the long mountain or range with sharp 

 or narrow keel-like summit, often extending more or less brokenly for 

 many miles. Of this character are the Winding Stair and Kaimichi Moun- 

 tains in Oklahoma, and the Poteau, Blackfork, and Rich Mountains 

 across the boundary between that state and Arkansas. The last named, 

 with the parallel ridge of the Blackfork, by reason of its accessibility has 

 been more thoroughly explored botanically than most parts of this area, 

 and since it is in many respects a typical locality, and also on account of 

 the richness and peculiarly interesting character of its woody flora, a brief 

 description of it will be given in this sketch. 



About half way between Kansas City and its Gulf terminus at Port 

 Arthur the Kansas City Southern railway reaches its highest level in 

 crossing this part of the Ozarks near Eagle Gap. The elevation here is 

 about 1750 feet (530 meters) above sea level, and from this point it begins 

 to descend rapidly towards the Coastal plain. This north and south road, 

 a short distance below Heavener, Oklahoma, turns sharply towards the 

 state line, and for more than twenty miles (35 kilometers) runs nearly east 

 and west, following a pass between the mountains, which offers the only 

 practicable route without a wide detour or extensive tunneling. The grades 

 here are steep in both directions, and if the traveler passes over it in day- 

 light he has ample opportunity for viewing the general features of this 

 interesting and picturesque part of the country. For several miles east 

 from the village of Page, Oklahoma, the railway parallels the course of a 

 araall rockv creek, which diminishes rapidly as the ascent continues into a 



