THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 389 



huckleberry, cranberry, and cowberry, the last of which is sub-alpine, 

 and often called "mountain cranberry." Among the blueberries whose 

 fruit is commonly gathered for market, the dwarf, or Pennsylvania blue- 

 berry, has the most extended range, being found far up the sides of 

 mountains, and in the fields and pastures everywhere. The swamp, or 

 high blueberry, is more limited, being common to the swamps and high- 

 lands southward, rarely appearing as far north as Conway. North of the 

 mountains the Canadian blueberry is the representative species. The 

 huckleberry is common in dry soil from the Merrimack valley eastward 

 to the sea-coast. The common cranberry has nearly the same range as 

 the high blueberry, a smaller fruited species appearing in Coos county. 



Often met with in our swamps are the Canadian holly and winter- 

 berry, the latter well known for its crimson berries, persistent long after 

 the leaves have fallen. In all our highland woods grows the handsome 

 striped maple, and along rocky streams the scarcely less beautiful moun- 

 tain maple. Sumacs delight in rocky situations on the southern slopes 

 of hills, their purple autumn leaves and scarlet spikes of fruit being well 

 known to all. Everywhere common is the alder, not only along the 

 banks of sluggish streams, but extending along the marshy hollows of 

 rough pastures. Seven or eight species of willows are commonly found, 

 having a place in almost every variety of soil. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



The herbaceous plants occupy the largest place in any flora, as regards 

 number and variety, a fact which is especially true of ours, the configura- 

 tion of the state giving the conditions favorable to the growth of very 

 numerous species. Among them are included the greater part of those 

 which we term "wild flowers," and most of the introduced plants which 

 have followed the settlement of the country. It is difficult to ascertain 

 the limits of many of our herbaceous plants, as characteristic of the 

 Alleghanian or Canadian divisions, for want of data bearing upon the 

 subject. 



The sea-coast, the Merrimack valley, and the vicinity of lakes Win- 

 nipiseogee and Ossipee, are our least elevated and longest settled por- 

 tions; consequently, we there find our flora richest in species. The 

 long belt of alluvial land of the Connecticut river also furnishes a field 



