116 JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM (vol. v 



the Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, White Ash and rarely the Umbrella- 

 tree (Magnolia tripetala). Growing as a second layer or in the more open 

 spots are the Papaw, Spicebush, Bladdernut, Southern Witch-hazel (Hama- 

 melis macrophylla) , Tear-blanket (Aralia spinosa) and Silverbell-tree 

 (Halesia monticola var. vestita). Some of the Walnut trees attain a large 

 size, having long escaped the woodman's axe by reason of their inaccessible 

 situation. A few years ago a rough road was constructed more than half 

 way up the mountain side, to bring down logs of this valuable timber. 

 At the time of one of my visits a large pile of them was awaiting shipment 

 near the railway, some specimens measuring nearly a meter in diameter. 



The Silverbell-tree of these mountains is a species of the southern 

 Alleghenies, having previously been known west of the Mississippi river 

 at only one other station in the Boston Mountains. It is found in con- 

 siderable abundance in some of the coves, and more rarely on the adjacent 

 slopes and ledges. As it grows here it is usually a shrub three to five 

 meters in height, but rarely it attains the size of a small tree. The largest 

 specimen observed was perhaps seven or eight meters tall, and with a trunk 

 two decimeters in diameter. The bark, except on the oldest specimens, 

 is of a reddish-gray or chestnut color, variegated with pale streaks and 

 lenticles, and somewhat resembling that of the Striped Maple. The 

 flowers open while still quite immature and green, a peculiarity that has 

 been noted in Halesia Carolina L. by Dr. R. M. Harper. Before falling 

 they are more than double in size, the corollas becoming two centimeters 

 or more in diameter, and of a pale cream color slightly flushed with pink. 



Through lack of time and the necessity of limiting the impedimenta on 

 these hard climbs, very few of the herbaceous plants were collected, and 

 no general list was made. This part of the vegetation, however, is very 

 luxuriant in the north facing coves, perhaps even more remarkable than 

 the woody plants, and certainly with more northern species, uncommon 

 in this part of the country. In the richer spots there are great beds of the 

 Maidenhair-fern, Beech-fern and Christmas-fern, besides more rarely the 

 Fragile Fern, Rattlesnake-fern and others. Bloodroot, Dutchman's- 

 breeches, Wild Ginger, Wake-robin, Bellwort, March-lily (Erythronium 

 americanum) y Spider- wort and Violets, yellow and blue, are amongst the 

 common spring flowers. Here also, as the season advances, are found 

 the blue Cohosh, Black Snakeroot and White-fruited Actea, and scores 

 of other plants of similar association. But we must hasten on, as it is 

 still some distance to the top of the mountain. 



A little farther up we begin to encounter, on the rich open slopes, 

 the little Buckeye (Aesculus glabra var. monticola), which we may find 

 even more abundant on top of the mountain. Many of the plants here 

 are not more than half a meter in height, and the large cymes of creamy- 

 yellow flowers in spring, and the heavy clusters of fruit in autumn, some- 

 times bear down the slender branches. The pretty little yellow-flowered 

 Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava) and the Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) are 



