579 



development is hindered. Trees occur oiily in small groups, con- 

 sisting chiefly of Salix (S. fragilis, S. nigra, and other species), 

 Fraxinus nigra, F. americana, Populus tremuloides, and Uhniis ameri- 

 cana. Frequently associated with these are such shrubs as C omits 

 stolonifera, Ceplialaiithiis occideiitalis, and Sanibiicus canadensis. 



Throughout the reed swamp and swamp meadow are many spe- 

 cies wdiich, though very abundant, share only to a small extent in 

 giving to the several associations their distinctive appearance. Thus, 

 Liidvigia palustris, Proserpinaca palustris, Penthorum sedoides, and 

 Stenophyllns capillaris are low in habit and obscured by taller plants 

 in the shade of which they may thrive. Again, Aster Tradescatiti, 

 Boltonia asteroides, Lobelia cardinalis, Teiicriuni occidentale, and 

 SciitcUaria galericulata, while extremely common, are nevertheless 

 conspicuous only during the latter part of the summer. The names 

 of such species are here reserved, so far as possible, for the annotated 

 list of species, at the end of this paper. 



The meadow formation, as already stated, is narrow and more 

 or less interrupted. The soil surface slopes mildly upward, away 

 from that of the swamp meadow. The vegetation is much diversi- 

 fied at different places and from month to month during the vegeta- 

 tive season. Poa pratensis and Agrostis alba are the dominant grasses, 

 but Danthonia spicata and Agropyron canimiin are frequent. Scat- 

 tered among the grasses are Carex stipata, C. vulpinoidea, C. scoparia, 

 and Bleocharis palustris. In some parts of the meadow Viola cucul- 

 lata, V. papilionacea, Senecio aureus, and S. Balsandtae are con- 

 spicuous in May and June, while later such species as LUiuiii cana- 

 dense and Rudbeckia Jiirta are the most noticeable. 



The stretches of forest present in many places at the edge of 

 the marsh, while not usually considered as belonging to the marsh, 

 are of interest because of the light that they throw upon the suc- 

 cessional development of vegetation with the passing away of marsh 

 conditions. Along the east side of the marsh, the ground surface 

 slopes gently upward toward a rather high morainic ridge that roughly 

 parallels the marsh ; and as one proceeds toward this ridge, he leaves 

 behind him such woody species as Ccrnus stolonifera, C. Anioniuni, 

 CepJiolanthus occidentalis, and Salix longifolia, and passes in turn 

 thickets composed of Sanibucns canadensis, Populus tremuloides and 

 taller species of Salix, forest composed largely of Quercus bicolor, 

 O. rubra, Fraxinus nigra, F. americana, and Ulmus am eric ana, ^nd\\y 

 reaching forest composed of Quercus rubra and such upland species 

 as Q. alba, Q. coccinea, and Gary a orata. 



