HERBACEOUS FLORA OF THE DRY FORESTS. 61 



The chestnut, originally one of the most frequent trees of these for- 

 ests, is at present rarely found in perfection. The older trees mostly 

 show signs of decay, and the seedlings, as well as the coppice growth 

 proceeding from the stump, are more or less stunted. It is asserted by 

 the old settlers that this tree is dying out all over the mountain region, 

 where at the beginning of the second half of the century it was still 

 found abundant and in perfection. Wild cherry (Prumis serotina) is 

 only found here and there in the richest spots, and red plum (Prunus 

 americana) rarely along the banks of streams. In the mesophile for- 

 ests of the bottom lands, as elsewhere north of the maritime belt, cow 

 Q2i\i(Quercusmichauxi^), Texas oak (Quercus texana), willow oak ( Quer- 

 cus phellos), and hornbeam (Carpinas caroliniana) prevail. Mountain 

 silverbell (Mohrodendron carolinum), redbud (Cercis canadensis), hard 

 maple (Acer saccharum larbatum), catalpa (Catalpa catalpa), and dog- 

 wood (Cornus florida) follow the rich slopes fronting the streams; 

 water oak (Quercus nigra L. (Q. aquatwa Walt.)) ascends to the upper 

 valley of Talladega Creek in Clay County (1,000 feet); various haw- 

 thorns ( Crataegus flava, C. coccinea, and C. crus-galli) and Southern 

 crabapple (Pyrus angustifolia) frequent the openings and borders of 

 the woodlands, and swamp dogwood (Cornus sp.) the wet margins of 

 streams. Rosa Carolina was found on the Delta divide near the Idaho 

 gold mine, in Clay County, the only locality for this rose known in the 

 State. The American hazelnut ( Corylus americana) in the forests of 

 mountains in Clay and Cleburne counties frequently forms the dense 

 brushy undergrowth. The frost grape ( Vitis cordifolia), the most 

 frequent of grapevines in this division, along the water courses covers 

 shrub and tree with its festoons. 



Xerophile herbaceous associations. The flora of the pine -clad moun- 

 tain slopes and the pine forests of the lower arid hills is decidedly of 

 a xerophile character, denoting a sterile if not barren soil. Coarse 

 grasses (Andropogon furcatus, A . scoparius, and EriantJms alopecu- 

 roides) cover sparingly the steep declines with an association of numer- 

 ous plants of the pea family and Compositae, all more or less in 

 common with other parts of the mountain region. On a visit to the 

 Chehawhaw Mountain, the Blue Mountains, and the Alpine Moun- 

 tains, in Talladega County, in the latter part of September there were 

 observed of Viciaceae and Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae) : 



Meibomia rugosa. Lespedeza frutescens. 



Meibomia marylandica. Lespedeza virginica. 



Meibomia obtusa. Lespedeza hirta. 



Meibomia rigida. Lespedeza capitata. 



Meibomia laevigata (rare) . Amorpha virgata. 



Meibomia glabella. Cracca virginiana. 



Meibomia michauxii. Phaseolus polystachyus. 



Meibomia arenicola. Cassia chamaecrista. 

 Lespedeza nutallii. 



