12 PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 



recent years from Prof. M. C. Wilson, of the Normal School at Flor- 

 ence. The large collections made in 1896, and in the early part of the 

 following season, by the biologists of the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, under the auspices of the Biological Survey of Alabama, con- 

 nected with the Agricultural and Mechanical College at Auburn, and 

 kindly submitted to the writer for examination, afforded many plants 

 from localities not represented before in the Normal Herbarium, 

 and from a section of the State of peculiar interest to the student of 

 plant distribution, but heretofore almost unknown to botanists. They 

 included a number of forms not previously observed in the State, some 

 of them new to science. 



PLAN OF THE PRESENT WORK. 



In the general part of the work a short sketch of the physiographical 

 features of the State precedes a chapter on the general aspect of the 

 flora of Alabama, and its relation to that of adjoining States, and to 

 the continental and extra-continental floras. In the paragraphs on 

 geological and climatic conditions, the publications of the Geological 

 Survey of the State and of Prof. P. H. Mell, in charge of the meteor- 

 ological service of the State, have been depended upon. 



In the general discussion of the geographical distribution of plants, 

 the principles leading Dr. Merriam to the establishment of his life 

 zones on the North American Continent north of Mexico have been 

 adopted, these having already been successfully applied in the investi- 

 gation of the distribution of animal as well as plant life in the part of 

 our country west of the basin of the Mississippi River by Messrs. 

 Merriam and Coville. 



The delimitation of the floral divisions of the State introduced by 

 the writer can only be regarded as tentative. The area, as yet, has 

 been but superficially explored, and in many parts the borders of the 

 divisions are but obscurely outlined, and need to be cleared up and 

 rectified, while several gaps remain to be filled. 



No effort has been spared to ascertain the distribution of each species 

 and variety known from the State, first, over the globe, then, within 

 the life zones of this continent, and last, within the floral divisions of 

 the State. For this purpose the leading works on systematic botany, 

 particularly North American botany, and all the available State and 

 local floras and catalogues have been consulted. 



SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT. 



In the catalogue of the plants growing without cultivation in Ala- 

 bama the natural system of Engler and Prantl 1 has been followed. 

 This embodies the results of the latest investigations of the natural 

 relations of plants and their affinities in the light of the development 



1 Engler und Prantl, Die Natuerlichen Pflanzenfamilien, 1887 to 1900. 



