THE FLORA OF THE STATE OF MAINE 



By Louise H. Coburn 



Prof. Sereno Watson, long time curator of Gray Her- 

 barium, used to say, when questioned about some plant not 

 recognized in the Manual, or recorded with a range which 

 excluded Maine, "Oh, anything can be found in Maine." 

 Since Prof. Watson's day a large amount of research has 

 been devoted to the flora of Maine, and there is a much bet- 

 ter understanding of it than he ever possessed. To illustrate 

 the advance of our knowledge in this particular limited seg- 

 ment of science, the Portland Catalogue of Maine Plants, 

 published in 1868, contained 1107 species and varieties, and 

 the second edition of 1892 contained 1410, while at present 

 the number of species and varieties recorded as growing 

 naturally in the state is about 2000. 



The position of the state of Maine is favorable to a 

 varied flora. It extends north and south over 4 1-3 degrees 

 of latitude, or 300 miles, and east and west over 4 1-6 degrees 

 of longitude, or 285 miles. The 45th parallel, central be- 

 tween equator and pole, crosses very nearly the middle of 

 the state. From this medial station Maine regards impar- 

 tially the pole and the equator, and its flora has both boreal 

 and austral aspects. In the forests of northern Somerset 

 may be found the Banksian pine, a boreal species, which 

 reaches within one and a half degrees of the arctic circle, 

 while in York County grows the white cedar, a tree of south- 

 ern swamp-lands, and the sassafras, also an austral species. 

 The central part of the state marks the northern limit of 

 many southerly species, and the southern limit of many 

 northerly ones. 



While the southern part of Maine is low and in general 

 level, the interior gradually rises to high uplands, set thickly 

 with hills, and intersected by rivers. There are six long 

 interior rivers, and eight seaboard rivers, which drain 1620 

 lakes. These figures, however, respect only outstanding feat- 

 ures, for there are over 5000 rivers and streams, there are 

 thousands of ponds, and there are hills without count or 

 name, a good number of them entitled to be called moun- 

 tains. 



The surface of Maine is geologically varied, and in this 

 respect favors a variety of plant growth. A large portion, 

 especially of the northern part of the state is strewn with 

 granite boulders, often with a bed of gravel underneath, thin- 

 ly coated with vegetable mould. Other portions have gran- 

 ite or slate ledges, outcropping or thinly draped. Large 



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