452 Harper: Explorations in Georgia 1904 



0.1 both trips, winter and spring together, I traveled about 

 2500 miles by rail * through the coastal plain, in order to examine 

 as much of the region as possible in its vernal and prevernal 

 aspects. At the same time about 250 photographs of coastal 

 plain vegetation and scenery were taken, with three cameras. 



The winter of 1903-4 was colder than usual in Georgia, and 



■ 



spring was consequently late. The first spring flower I noticed 

 was Alnus nigosa, on January 23. Acer rubriim began to bloom 

 in Coffee County about the first week in February, and Pieris 

 phillyrcacfolia^ Thyrsantliema scmiflosatlare and an unidentified 

 species of Crataegus in Lowndes County before the middle of the 

 month. On the Chattahoochee River in Early County Acer sac- 

 charbmm and two or three species of Ulmits^'^r^ just past flower- 

 ing on February 18, and Lnzitla saltuensis\ was beginning to 

 bloom in Randolph County on the 23d. But after April 1st 

 there w^as no noticeable scarcity of flowers. On that date I found 

 a Utriciilaria, a MyriopJiylhnn and a Potamogcton, plants which one 

 usually associates with summer, in bloom in Screven County. 

 During the first month after the vernal equinox, before the leaves 

 on the trees were full-grown, I spent most of the time in the 

 Eocene region of the coastal plain, where mesophytic forests pre- 

 vail {e. g,^ in the counties of Richmond, Burke, Jefferson, Wash- 

 ington, Wilkinson, Twiggs and Houston), and the woods at that 

 season were resplendent with Aesctihts Pavia, Cormis florida, Azalea 

 mtdljlora diwd. other characteristic spring-flowering trees and shrubs, 

 much as in the Piedmont region (Middle Georgia) a little farther 

 inland. 



Toward the end of April I passed into and through the pine- 

 barren region, J where shade and shade-loving plants are scarce, 

 and the most conspicuous flowers do not appear until summ.er. 

 On a visit to Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River 

 on April 30 I was rather surprised at the scarcity of flowers. 



* For over 600 miles of this I am indebted to the courtesy of the officials of five 

 railroads, the Georgia, the Louisville & Wadley, the Macon, Dublin & Savannah, the 

 Wadley & Mt. Vernon Extension, and the Georgia Southern & Florida, especially the 

 last named, 



f See Bull. Torrey Club 32 : 154. 1905. 



J In Georgia the Cretaceous and Eocene regions together constitute about one- 

 fourth of the area of the coastal plain, and the pine-barrens nearly three-fourths. 



