272 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



was very interesting as marking the 

 northern limits of some of the character- 

 istic species of the Ohio-Kentucky- 

 Tennessee forest. Prominent among 

 these are honey locust (Gleditsia Iria 

 canthos), black oak (Quercus velutina), 

 shell-bark hickory (Carya ovata), river 

 birch (Betula nigra), chinquapin oak 

 (Quercus prinoides) and black maple 

 (Acer saccharum var. nigrum). A few 

 other species, occurring typically in 

 this southeastern hardwood forest of 

 the state, had migrated up the main 

 Mississippi Valley and had established 

 outposts as far northwestward as the 

 vicinity of Minneapolis. These are: 

 black walnut (Juglans nigra), swamp 

 white oak (Quercus bicolor), Kentucky 

 coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioica), wild 

 crab apple (Pyrus ioensis), red mulberry 

 (Morus rubra), and lastly the white oak 

 (Quercus alba} which apparently found 

 congenial conditions in the sour soil 

 of the red Wisconsin drift and penetrated 

 as far as the eastern shores of Lake 

 Mille Lacs. 



A few shrubs and vines also occurred 

 in this forest which did not reach the 

 Big Woods. They were witch hazel 

 (Hamamelis virginiana), Sullivant's 

 honeysuckle (Lonicera Sullivantii), but- 

 ton bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) , 

 and blue grape (Vitis bicolor) 



The herbaceous undergrowth of the 

 deciduous forest formation was so rich 

 and varied that only a few of the more 

 striking and characteristic species can 

 be enumerated here. In the rich soil 

 of densely shaded slopes occurred 

 Virginia grape fern (Botrychium vir- 

 ginianum), interrupted fern (Osmunda 

 clay toni ana) , maiden-hair fern (Adian- 

 tum pedatum), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Ari- 

 saema triphyllum) , bellwort (Uvularia 

 grandiflora), Solomon's seal (Polygona- 

 tum commutatum) , false Solomon's seal 

 (Smilacina racemosa), wake robin (Tril- 

 lium cernuum, T. declinatum), showy 

 orchis (Orchis spectabilis), wild ginger 

 (Asarum canadense), Hepatica (Hepa- 

 tica acutiloba), baneberry (Actaea rubra, 

 A. alba), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum 

 thalictroides), May apple (Podophyllum 



peltalum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria cana- 

 densis), Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra 

 Cucullaria), mitrewort (Mitella diphylla), 

 ginseng, (Panax quinquefolia) , wild 

 spikenard (Aralia racemosa) and Greek 

 valerian (Polemonium reptans). 



On the rich wooded bottomlands 

 and in the lower portions of ravines 

 abounded ostrich fern (Onoclea struthi- 

 opteris), shield fern (Aspidium spinu- 

 losum), lady fern (Asplenium augus- 

 tum), green dragon (Arisaema dracon- 

 tium), dog's-tooth violet (Erythronium 

 albidum), water leaf (Hydrophyllum 

 virginianum) , touch-me-not (Impatiens 

 pallida, I. biflora), golden glow (Rud- 

 beckia laciniata) and others. In the 

 upland portions of the forests the species 

 more commonly met with are yellow 

 lady's slipper (Cypripedium pubescens), 

 rattlesnake plantain (Epipactis pubes- 

 cens), rein orchis (Habenaria bracteata), 

 columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), en- 

 thanter's nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), 

 snakeroot (Sanicula marilandica S. 

 gregaria), shin leaf (Pyrola elliptica), 

 lopseed (Phryma leptostachya) . 



The deciduous forest formation in 

 Minnesota is embraced within the 

 Alleghanian Faunal area and as is the 

 case with many plant species a con- 

 siderable number of animals reached the 

 northwestern limits of their range in 

 this formation. Some of the typical 

 species are: southern flying squirrel 

 (Glaucomysvolans), fox squirrel (Sciurus 

 niger rufiventer), gray squirrel (Sciurus 

 carolinensis hypophaeus), rufescent 

 woodchuck (Marmota monax rufescens), 

 Mearns cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus 

 floridanus mearnsii), long-tailed weasel 

 (Mustela longicauda spadix), Wisconsin 

 gray fox (Urocoyon cinereoargenteus ocy- 

 thous), prairie mole (Scalopus aquaticus 

 machrinus). Some species like the rac- 

 coon (Procyon lotor) and the eastern 

 red fox (Vulpes fulva), although most 

 typical of this area, ranged considerably 

 beyond the hardwood forest, while 

 others belonging to the coniferous and 

 prairie areas were, and are, fairly com- 

 mon in parts of the hardwoed forest. 

 Representatives of this class are the 



