86 



PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 



southern station, reduced to a shrubby growth. A peculiar form of 

 Alsine pubera (var. tennesseensis) found by Dr. Short in Kentucky, 

 according to Dr. Small, with HeucJiera hispida hirsuticaulis, inhabits 

 the deeply shaded, damp rocky shelves and clefts with Oysbopten* 

 fragilis, and the delicate fronds of the Northern Cystopteris bulbifera 

 with the Southern maidenhair (Adiantum capillus-veneris) overhang 

 dripping rocks. 



VEGETATION OP THE LOWLANDS, COVES, AND BLUFFS. 



Mesophile forest. South of the Tennessee River the lowlands border- 

 ing Catoa, Flint, and Big Nancy creeks are covered with extensive 

 hardwood forests. The dense tree cover consists chiefly of cow oak, 

 Texas oak, willow oak, Spanish oak, and more sparingly of mocker- 

 nut hickory, beech, and white ash, with hornbeam, papaw, deciduous 

 holly (Ilex deeidua), and hawthorns (Crataegus apiifolia, C. crus-galli, 

 C. spathulatci), common in damp fresh soils, as undergrowth. 



The cow oak abounds in the bottoms along the streams in the per- 

 fection of its growth, trees from 30 to 40 inches in diameter not being 

 rare. Three trees felled, representative of the average size of this 

 valuable hardwood timber, showed the following dimensions: 



Dimensions and age of cow oak timber. 



The Texas oak or Southern red oak, the frequent companion of the 

 above, is often found from 2 to 3 feet in diameter and from 80 to 100 

 feet in height, dimensions attained at an age of from 150 to 175 years. 

 The timber of the Southern red oak is considered little inferior to that 

 of the white oak. 



White ash (Fraximm wmerwana) is found scattered throughout the 

 forest, particularly along the base of the declivities bordering the low- 

 lands. Trees from 2i to 3 feet in diameter have been observed in the 

 valleys, as well as occasionally in other localities, extending to the 

 border of the Louisianian area. Not being of gregarious habit, this 

 tree is not abundant in any locality. 



The benches of the Mountain Limestone which form the terraces of 

 the wide fertile coves surrounding the head waters of the streams 

 named are covered by a deep fresh soil rich in humus, productive of 

 an excellent timber growth. On these terraces oaks predominate, 

 and, above all, the white oak (in this region called ridge white oak to 

 distinguish it from the swamp white oak or cow oak), together with 



