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portions. The trees are mostly ill grown, crowded, and 

 comparatively small. The undergrowth and wood margins 

 are rich in shrubs, Corni (including the beautiful dwarf 

 C. Canadensis, with its brilliant crimson berries), Guelder 

 Koses, Elders, &c. 



The vastly greater number of species of trees in America 

 strikes a stranger; this is due to the mixture of Northern 

 and Southern forms, the latter having met with no 

 Geographical barrier, like the Mediterranean in the case of 

 Europe, to prevent their gradual return northward at the 

 close of the glacial period. 



The herbaceous Flora of Forest regions is always poor in 

 species, hence when the land is cleared, as a large portion of 

 the Eastern States of the Union and of the Dominion was, 

 by forest fires during the Indian occupation, and later by 

 the settler, a floral vacuum resulted (as Professor Asa Gray 

 describes it), and to fill this, Northern, Southern, and largely 

 Foreign introduced forms rushed in, and hence we have to a 

 large extent here a derivative, non-indigenous flora, and we 

 see a vast number of the most familiar weeds of the Old 

 World flourishing in abnormal vigour. The Mullein is a 

 good example of this. 



Passing westward beyond the Lakes to the Great 

 Prairies, consisting largely of rich alluvium resting on 

 cretaceous clays, we have an entirely distinct and thoroughly 

 indigenous flora, in Spring and early Summer, presenting a 

 carpet of brilliant and beautiful flowers. 



Leguminous plants, especially species of Astragalus, 

 Petalostemon, Lupinus, and Lathyrus, and Composites, of 

 the great American genus Aster, Solidagos or Golden Rods, 

 Rudbeckias, Liatris, Erigeron, &c., are the most striking 

 features. 



This flora is of interest as containing so large a number of 

 plants, recently introduced into our gardens, among the now 

 fashionable " hardy perennials." Some, however, such as 

 species of Aster (Michaelmas Daisies), Golden Rods, and Sun 

 Flowers, are among the oldest denizens of our gardens. 



