MOBILE DELTA. 85 



relatively unavailable potash. The principal soil texture 

 classes are swamp, clay, silt loam, clay loam and fine sandy 

 loam. 



VEGETATION. 



Nearly the whole area is covered with dense forests, ex- 

 cept near the bay, where the water is a little brackish and 

 open marshes prevail. The writer's observations have been 

 limited to the vicinity of the L. & N. R. R., which crosses the 

 delta as near as possible to its lower end. The commonest 

 plants along there seem to be as follows : 



Commonest plants in Mobile delta. 



TIMBER TREES. 



Nyssa biflora .Black gum 



Magnolia glauca Bay 



Taxodium distichum ..Cypress 



Liquidambar Styraciflua. Sweet gum 



Acer rubrum ..Red maple 



Nyssa uniflora Tupelo gum 



Fraxinus sp Ash 



SMALL TREES. 



Salix nigra Willow 



Populus heterophylla Cottonwood 



SHRUBS AND VINES. 



Cephalanthus occidentalis 



Myrica cerifera ...Myrtle 



V Smilax laurifolia Bamboo vine 



Sabal glabra Palmetto 



Phoradendron flaves- 



cens Mistletoe 



Itea Virginica 



V Ampelopsis arborea 



V Smilax Walteri Bamboo vine 



HERBS. 



Phragmites communis Reed-grass 



Cladium effusum ....Saw-grass 



Spartina polystachya (A grass) 



Tillandsia usneoides Spanish moss 



Sagittaria latifolia 



Scirpus validus Bulrush 



Oxypolis filiformis 



Panicum virgatum _ (A grass) 



Typha latifolia ..Cat-tail 



Ppntederia cordata Wampee ? 



' ~^ . Sium cicutaefolium 



Zizania aquatica? Wild rice 



Nymphaea fluviatilis Bonnets 



