FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE 



VEGETATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA 



leaves and clustered, waxy berries. It is associated with a low oak, Quercus 

 pumila Walt. (M.), on the east coast and on the west coast with Quercus 

 minima (Sarg.) Small (F.) and Quercus myrtifolia Willd. (F.), sometimes 

 6 meters (20 feet tall). Quercus myrtifolia Willd. is a much-branched ever- 

 green shrub and its acorns mature the second year, while the fruits of 

 Quercus pumila Walt, mature the first year. Quercus minima (Sarg.) Small 

 has persistent leaves. The gopher-apple, Geobalanus oblongifolius (Michx.) 

 Small, with underground stems and ovoid drupes, occurs in the forests at 

 Miami and Ft. Myers. Several ericaceous shrubs suggest the pine barrens 

 of New Jersey. They are Vaccinium nitidum Andr. (M.), Vaccinium myrsin- 

 ites Lam. (S. F.), Gaylussacia dumosa (Andr.) T. & G. (S.) found in New Jersey, 

 Xolisma fruticosa (Michx.) Nash (S. F.) and Bejaria racemosa Vent. Vac- 

 cinium nitidum Andr. grows about a foot high and has small, almost sessile, 

 pointed leaves and grayish bark, while Vaccinium myrsinites Lam. is a low 

 much-branched shrub with box-like leaves in fruit June 6, 1912. Xolisma 

 fruticosa (Michx.) Nash., in flower on June 6, has leathery, rusty-looking 

 leaves. The evergreen shrub, Bejaria racemosa Vent., was gay with its glu- 

 tinous white corollas with narrow spatulate petals. Before leaving Florida 

 at the end of June, it had begun to fruit. A celastraceous shrub, Crossopetalum 

 floridanum Gardner ( = Rhacoma ilicifolia (Poir.) Trelease), has a deeply pene- 

 trating tap-root and spreading almost prostrate branches with holly-like leaves. 

 Other low shrubs are Byrsonima lucida (Sw.) DC. (H.), Asimina reticulata 

 Shuttlew. (S.), Croton Fergusonii Small (H.), Rhus obtusifolia Small, 

 Rhus toxiferum (L. H.), Hypericum aspalathoides Willd. (S.), Ascyrum 

 tetrapetalum (Lam.) Vail, Tetrazygia bicolor (Mill.) Cogn. (H.), Icacorea 

 paniculata (Nutt.) Sudw., Guettarda scabra Vent (H.), Lantana depressa 

 Small (H.), L. involucrata L. (M.), Callicarpa americana L. (F.), and Ximenia 

 americana L. The greenbriar, Smilax Beyrichii Kunth, is a liane, found com- 

 monly near Ft. Myers. At the western extension of the east coast oolitic 

 limestone formation, Long Key in the Everglades is remarkable, according to 

 Small, for a number of shrubs found beneath the dominant slash-pine trees. 

 Among these shrubs may be mentioned Torrubia longifolia (Heimerl.) Britton, 

 Ilex Krugiana Loesil, Exothea paniculata (Juss.) Radlk., Jacquinia keyensis 

 Mez., Icacorea paniculata (Nutt.) Sudw., Dipholis salicifolia (L.) A. DC. 

 (Plate IV). 



Contrasted with the undergrowth of the pine forests of the mainland, we 



