80 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



limestone ridges scattered throughout the region. The paper birch, so 

 common northward, is scattered here and there in Dubuque county, but 

 so far as I know does not occur along the Mississippi river at Green 

 Island. 



A number of southern trees are found in the region, like the Sycamore 

 (Platanus occidentalis), the honey locust (Gledistsia triacanthos) which 

 occurs, however, to the north in Clayton county, while the Coffee bean 

 (Gymnocladus dioica) occurs north in Minnesota. Both of these trees 

 are fairly common. The swamp white oak is common on the Mississippi 

 bottoms along with the soft maple (Acer saccharinum), cottonwood 

 (Populus deltoideas), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). These counties con- 

 tain several most interesting trees that belong to the south. The islands 

 of the Mississippi subject to overflow contain the pecan (Carya Illi- 

 noisense). It is probably the most northern distribution of the species 

 in the United States. Another southern tree occurs with it, the pin oak 

 (Quercus palustris) this too is the most northern distribution in Iowa. 

 It seems to me that a small portion of the area where these occur should 

 be preserved. The wood of the pecan and pin oak i: so valuable that the 

 best of the trees have long since been removed. Cannot a small area be 

 preserved here and there? In this same region may be found Lotus ponds 

 (Nelumbium luteum) one of the interesting and unique plants of Iowa, its 

 straight leaf stalks standing out of the water, followed by creamy yel- 

 lowish white flowers raised on long stalks, and later the large top- 

 shaped receptacles commonly called pods replace the flowers. The In- 

 dians when they were supreme in this region, gave some attention to 

 the plant, because they used the thick rhizones and seed for food. 



It is worth noting here that when the American association met in 

 Dubuque in 1871, and Dr. Asa Gray, the leading American botanist, de- 

 livered his presidential address, he made a special trip to McGregor to 

 view the lotus beds. A Mr. Wright took the geologist, Dana, and the 

 botanist, Asa Gray, to these flower beds. 



Two other interesting aquatic plants occur in the region, namely the 

 white water lily and the Spatter Dock. The low alluvial meadows of the 

 Mississippi are fairly aglow with the Cardinal flower. Surely there is 

 nothing in all of the category of late summer plants equal to the cardinal 

 flowers and there are acres of them in this region. I cannot refrain from 

 mentioning another plant of the region the paw paw (Asimina triloba). 

 How many Iowa people know that this plant is a native of Jackson and 

 Dubuque counties. Many years ago I made a special stop at Specht's 

 Ferry near Dubuque to pick some of these plants. It was found in 

 abundance at the base of the hill near the place, along with the man- 

 drake, sweet william, blue and yellow violets and bittersweet, black 

 walnut, American and slippery elm and hard maple. Some years earlier 

 I had received some specimens from a Mr. Kenyon near McGregor, who 

 supposed that the Indians planted it at that place. However, it is na- 

 tive near Dubuque and in Jackson county. Ferns are abundant. I never 

 saw such an array of bulbous or bladderwoort ferns as I found near 

 Green Island, hanging from the limestone rocks. The limestone talus 

 and cliffs support another interesting fern, the Walking Leaf Fern. 

 There are also the ostrich fern, the Osmunda and Spleenwort. Of ever- 



