FLORA OF MITCHELL COUNTY 



271 



with water cress, blue iris, yellow marsh marigolds, and bordered 

 by a large colony of the sensitive fern. 



A forest expert on strolling through these grounds one day 

 counted eighty-one varieties of trees. Millions of the supposedly 



Fig. 93. — Rock outcrops along the Old Lime Kiln Road. Osage. 



rare Muscatel grow here and on a bank overlooking the spring are 

 found the showy orchis, while down in a moist spot have been found 

 the Indian Pipe or corpse plant. 



The River road follows the bank of Cedar river for about six 

 miles from the bridge west of Osage up the river to Mitchell. It 

 is one of the prettiest bits of scenery in Iowa. The peacefully 

 flowing river, with its wonderful reflections of tree and cloud lies 

 on one side while to the right rise sheer bluffs of limestone, draped 

 with the graceful bladder fern and its twin sister, Cystopteris 

 fragiUs, wild grape, moonseed and clematis vines, with a touch of 

 coral-colored columbine, or pink and yellow honeysuckle in their 



