(JENERAI. ASPE( r ( >F llli; M.OUA. 17 



rises about '2(H) feet over the tloods of the Mississij)j>i. Tl>e east- 

 ern portion of this area is compo eil of eretaceous and the western 

 of tertiery and f ost-tertiery deposits, either sands or soft creta- 

 ceous shale. Folid, often ferruginous, sandstone.^ appar at the 

 surface, scattered in incoherent masses. 



AVe behold no longer liiu])id str(anis, rippling over rocky bot- 

 toms, sided by elifls and blutls. Instead of tluni \ve find lagoons 

 and swampy borders, stretching along muddy-looking waters of 

 sluggish streams. 



From distance already, before crossing the liver, wt- are in 

 sight of towering cy})resses. AVhile a thousand mih s last from 

 here they yet occupy the shore-line of the Atlantic, here the 

 shore line has receded to the Gulf and left the cvprcss behind. 

 Their dimensions are truly enormcnis. The far spreading roots 

 emerge like sharp-backed ridges from the brownish lagoon, grad- 

 ually cree])ing up and girding with buttress-like j)rojections the 

 many-angled column. A perpendicular shaft ascends to a height 

 of 120-150 feet and then spreads a flat or hemisj)hcrical crown. 

 Such I have seen twenty years ago mar Johnsonville. Cypress 

 swamps are along both big rivers, and many other extensive 

 sw^amps and swampy lands are along every watercourse, the most 

 perhaps along Big Sandy. It may therefore be expected that a 

 great many more aquatic species and such as inhabit marshy 

 lands exist in this region, than in either East or Middle Tennes- 

 see. My own experience is, hoAvever, limited and restricted to 

 one point on the Mississippi river, the regions of lirownsville, 

 Humbolt, McKenzie, Hollow-rock and Johnsonville. in which 

 places I have made interesting collections. 



PLANTS PECULIAR TO WEST TENNESSEE. 



Ranunculus multifidus Pursh. Planeni iiquatica Gmel. 



Brasenia peltata Pursh. Litlios])einnini anguisti folium 

 Cabomba Caroliniana Gray. Midix. 



Hypericum lobocarpum Gattinger. rtricularia Mllora Lam. 



Gleditschia monospernia Walt. Iris cui)rea Pur>h. 



Dalea alopecuruides Willd. Iris hexapma Walt. 



Berchemia volubilis DO. Hahenaria vircK-eiis i?prenpel. 



GaHum Arkansanum Gray. Juncus mititaris Bigel. 



Eryngium prostratuni Niitt. Scirjais debihs Pursli. 



Marshallia lanceolata Pursh. Zizania acjuatica L. 



Ambrosia bidentata ISIichx. Spj.rtina cynot^uroides Willd. 



Helenium tennifoliuni Nutt. Krairrostis cxylepis Torr. 



Senecio lobatus Pers. Cenclirus tnbuloides L. 



Hydrolea affinis Gray. Aristida nunosissima Engcliu. 



Verbena stricta Vent. Tax» dinin (ii.stichum Kidi. 

 LimnanthemumlacunosumGriese. A>i>lcniniu Filix femina L. var. 

 Polypremum jirocumbens T.. anuustum (iray. 



Quercus bicolor Willd. Azdla Caroliniana ^^ did 



Stillingia sylvatica L. K.,.^^^tuIn robustum H.Br. 



9 



