The Flora of Lake Vermillion 

 Minnesota. 



L. H. PAMMEL, Ph. D. 

 Professor of Botany, Iowa State College. 



Lake Vermillion is situated in the Northern portion of St. Louis 

 county, north and a little east of Duluth and may toe reached via the 

 Duluth and Iron Range Railway. The lake is only 35 miles long, but it 

 has 800 miles of shore line. In many places the shore line is rocky, 

 in others, however, there are sandy beaches. The lake is noted for its 

 many islands. Those who profess to know, state that there are 355. 

 Some islands are only 100 feet square, while one of the large islands 

 contains several thousand acres, including several small lakes. The 

 depth of the lake varies from a few feet to 150 feet. At one time there 

 was considerable timber in the region, mostly white pine (Pinus 

 strobus), red pine (Pinus resinosa) and some Jack pine (Pinus divari- 

 cata). Paper birch (Betula papyrifera), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), 

 Arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis), tamarack (Larix laricina), white 

 spruce (Picea canadensis), black spruce (P. mariana), black ash (Frax- 

 inus nigra), and Balm of Gilead (Populus balsamifera) occur in swamps 

 and along the streams. There is also Populus grandidentata on a few 

 islands. Other species of trees occur but they are scarcely merchant- 

 able. These trees are as follows: Bass wood (Tilia americana), hard 

 maple (Acer saccharum), red ash (Fraxinus Pennsylvania), and green 

 ash (F. Pennsylvania var lanceolata). The pin cherry (Prunus penn- 

 sylvanica) is common everywhere, especially in burnt-over areas. The 

 choke cherries (P. virginiana) is also common, but never attains the 

 dimensions of a tree. The quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is one 

 of the common trees, never, however, of large size. Mountain ash 

 (Pyrus Americana) is always a shrub or a very small tree. The oak 

 (Quercus ellipsodialis) is a rare tree occurring on Pine Island. The 

 blue beach or iron wood (Carpinus caroliniana) was only found once 

 at the lower end of the lake, near the Vermillion dam. It was shrub- 

 like and only leaves were observed. This locality makes apparently 

 the most northern limit in Minnesota for the species. The speckled 

 Alder (Alnus incana) is common in the swamps and on the shores of 

 the lake. American elm (Ulmus americana) is confined to the streams 

 and beaches of the lake. 



The shrubs and herbaceous plants are important because of their 

 relation to the growth of forest trees. The importance of the associated 

 plants has been considered by many botanists. Woodsmen have often 

 observed that when the associated plants are removed the forest trees 

 are short lived. In conversation with Gus. Fabin, who owns a cottage 

 at the head of Fabin's Bay, when the dying of balsam fir in front of his 

 cottage was mentioned he said, "I have often noticed that when you 

 remove the associated trees the balsam fir is a short lived tree." 



The more important shrubs of the region are the following: (Salix 

 amygdaloides), on the beaches, not common. Cordate willow (Salix 

 cordata), Sandbar willow (8. longifolia), bog willow (8. pedicellaris), 

 gaucous willow (8. discolor), beaked willow (8. rostrata), Sweet gale 

 (Myrica gale), beaked hazel (Coryus rostrata), swamp birch (Betula 

 pumila), June berry or service berry (Amelanchier spicata), Red rasp- 

 berry (Rubus idaeus var aculeatissimus) , dwarf raspberry (R. triflorus), 



