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BICKNELL: FERNS AND FLOWERING PLANTS OF NANTUCKET 415 
ARCTOSTAPHYLOS Uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. 
The bearberry is probably the most abundant flowering plant 
on Nantucket, where it spreads a thick evergreen carpet over 
unnumbered acres of the rolling commons and of hill and plain. 
Throughout wide tracts not a point of ground is left uncovered by 
its even mantle of firm shining foliage, which makes a clean and 
springy footway, and on slopes and hillsides a very slippery one. 
The long trailing stems and branches weave so strong in inter- 
lacement that many kinds of plants that would thrive well upon 
the same soil are either choked away or find no spot whereon to 
begin their growth. Nevertheless the close abundance of the 
bearberry often gives good protection to many another plant 
in a most unexpected way. Beneath its low covering the soil 
is ever in shade and remains cool and damp under the hottest sun. 
By this are some woodland species afforded conditions which 
enable them to exist far out on the dry barrens, and growing up 
out of the bearberry comes many an unexpected thing. The 
Indian pipe is occasionally to be seen pushing up through its 
close fretwork as well as Pyrola americana, Pyrola chlorantha, 
Chimaphila umbellata, Cypripedium acaule, probably all plants of 
acid soils, and Vagnera stellata, Linum intercursum, Grossularia 
hirtella, and other species, including some of the grasses natural to 
the damp soil of low grounds. 
The bearberry was everywhere in full flower June 1, 1909. 
In other years it had passed out of bloom either before or soon 
after the middle of the month; green fruit June 7, 1908, and some 
becoming red June 18; in 1912 the fruit had only begun to redden 
June 30; abundant fruit in September, 1899. 
CALLUNA VULGARIS (L.) Salisb. 
The late lamented Mrs. Owen* in a most interesting paper, 
one of the latest from her always agreeable pen, on “ The Adventive 
Heaths of Nantucket” (Rhodora, 10: 173-179. O 1908) has 
given us a history of the three heaths that are found growing 
wild on the island. We are told that the Calluna, or ling, was 
first found on Nantucket in 1880 by Mr. Lawrence Coffin, a single 
plant on the open commons, which persisted for many years and 
* Maria Louisa (Tallant) Owen. Born on Nantucket in 1825. Died June 8, 
13. 
