8 MICHIGAN FLORA. 



everywhere, forming a tangled thicket, and a few scattering poplars, birches, 

 and cherries serve for arboreal life, above which tower the dead pines, bleached 

 in the weather and blackened by fire, destitute of limbs, and looking at a 

 distance not unlike the masts of some great harbor. Thousands of such acres, 

 repellant alike to botanist and settler, can be seen in any of our northern 

 counties. 



In certain districts considerable beech is found associated with the pine. 

 The soil of such tracts is usually of better quality, and can be rendered pro- 

 ductive without much labor. It may be noted that in such cases the pine 

 also grows thriftier and makes better lumber. 



Sections of this and the Traverse region of Michigan are still sparsely set- 

 tled, or not at all, and have been visited rarely by botanists. Consequently, 

 we may expect many additions to our flora, as well as corrections, when this 

 region is as thoroughly known as the south half of the State now is; our 

 ignorance, rather than nature's parsimony, explaining why we have so few 

 species credited to us. The most promising field for the botanist evidently 

 lies in the Houghton Lake region and northward, and in the Upper Peninsula, 

 many parts of the interior of which are botanically unknown. 



Our flora, as here presented, contains in all 113 families (orders) and 1,634 

 species. The composites claim the largest number of species, L82 — about one- 

 ninth of all. Sedges follow with 176 species; grasses, 139; rosacese, 61; 

 ferns, 56 ; leguminosaa, 55 ; figworts, 46 ; mints, 40 ; mustard and crowfoot, 

 39 each ; heath family, 35, and umbelliferse, 27. We have 165 trees and 

 shrubs, about 20 of which are valuable timber trees. At least 40 of our trees 

 and shrubs are worthy of cultivation for ornament. Sugar maples and elms 

 are commonly planted, while the tulip tree, basswood, Kentucky coffee tree, 

 black walnut, and butternut, among deciduous trees, and hemlock, white pine, 

 black spruce, arbor vitae, and red cedar, among evergreens, deserve more atten- 

 tion. About 20 species of woody and herbaceous native climbers are frequent, 

 and some are worthy of cultivation, (see State Pomological Report of ' 79 for 

 a list.) Ninety medicinal plants are admitted into the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, 

 45 belonging to the primary list, and an equal number to the secondary, while 

 a number of others deserve attention at the hands of Pharmacists. (See 

 papers previously noted.) 



It may be stated in conclusion that, in the preparation of this catalogue, 

 we have spared no pains to make it thoroughly reliable, a majority of the 

 species enumerated having passed through our hands, and the remainder being 

 admitted only on good authority. We have preferred to make a useful rather 

 than a large catalogue, and, on this ground, we have rejected a number of 

 species, some of which may yet make good their claim to be considered as 

 part of our flora. We cannot hope to have escaped all errors, and crave 

 charitable judgment for any such the kind reader may discover, trusting that 

 they may be found errors of omission rather than of commission. 



In our arrangement of orders, we have preferred, as more convenient, to 

 follow the 5th edition of Gray's Manual rather than later works. The vexa- 

 tious subject of synonomy has received considerable attention, and will, we 

 believe, be found brought down nearly to date. Further observations will 

 be published from time to time in the form of addenda, towards increase of 

 which we solicit correspondence and contributions from all parts of the State. 



Ionia, Mich., January 30, IS 81. 



