16 BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 
quently carpets large areas; Euphorbia corallata, L. 
(Flowering spurge); Syndesmon thalictroides (L) 
Hoffinsg. (Rue Anemone); Lithospermum canescens, 
(Mx.) Lehm. (Hoary Puccoon); Desmodium, several 
species; Hedeoma pulegioides (L.) Pers. (American 
pennyroyal); Heliopsis scabra; (L.) B. S. P. (Rough 
Ox-eye); Aster laevis L. (Smooth Aster); Aster undu- 
latus L. (Wavy-leaf Aster); Aster ericoides L. (White- 
heath Aster); Solidago, several species. In the meso- 
phytic woodlands occur the usual early geophilous 
Spring flowers in abundance, while inthe Autumn the 
following flourish: Eupatorium ageratoides L. (White 
snake-root); Adicea pumila L. (Raf. Richweed or clear- 
weed); Impatiens biflora, Walt. (Spotted touch-me-not); 
Lobelia syphilitica L. (Blue lobelia); Aster Novae- 
Angliae L. (New England Aster); Sanicula Marylandica 
L. (Black snake root); Urticastrum divaricatum (L.) 
Kuntze (Wood Nettle), etc. One specimen of Aralia 
racemosa IL, (American Spikenard) was-found in one 
of the wettest woods, which occurs on the median 
plane. 
All gradations between the xero-mesophytic and 
the mesophytic societies occur on different portions of 
the Ridges according to the direction and steepness of 
the slope, and the depth and character of soil. 
ROADSIDE SOCIETY. 
Along the roadsides and fence-rows, especially old 
worm-fences, some of the plants, originally occurring 
on the area, survive and flourish, silent witnesses of the 
character of former conditions and plant societies. 
More frequently they offer ready footing to new arri-- 
vals, prophecies of future societies. Asarule the con- 
ditions of life of roadside plants are much more adverse 
than those of fence-rows, and in consequence they must 
possess greater power of surviving in spite of hard 
