31S 



THE AMERICAN 



first are chiefly found our ferns. Of these I have col- 

 lected 25 species, including the Pohjpodium incanvm, 

 Cyatopteris fragilis, Cfteilanthes testita, Osmutida Clay, 

 toniana, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, AspleniwnpinnatifJuTny 

 trichomanes and eheaeum, Aspidium Goldianum, Allosorus, 

 Pteris, etc. Of the last, a variety occurs quite frequently 

 which is peculiar in lacking the teruate character of the 

 frond. This variety has propagated itself without change 

 for three years since I first observed it. 



It is along the borders of the bluffs, hnwrver— which 

 here repeat in niiiiinliirr tin- (■;isc:hIi-v miil piTriiHrr^ dI' 

 mountain scenery-- IliiLt \\f olitain llir mo-i illll■l■l■^lil)^■ 

 results. Here the soil is moslly sluidnl by the nvriliaiiu'- 

 ing trees, warmed by the heat retlecteil from the rorks, 

 and moistened by the dripping surface waters carried 

 off by the underlying strata. In such places only have 

 I fciuiid, atCol)dcn, the Pha,;h:, PursJ,;;. rciiiiirUaiiU' lor 

 the dulicatrbcMiily <.r its li.-lit-l.lur. .Icrply-rrir.-rd co- 

 rolla, and at .Makaii.la lb.- .UitrluU.i /,;w,... wlii.b seems 

 to flourish with us rather wiiere it receives the c(jiistant 

 drippings of the rocks than in dry woods, as farthej- east. 

 Along the blufls and upon the rocky hill-sides occurs 

 also the Azalea nndifiora, described by Gray as growing 

 in the eastern swamps. The profusion of light-pink 

 blossoms which this shrub puts forth in early spring, 

 lighting up the gloomy forests of the Pine Hills, or 

 drooping in fragrant, cloud-like masses fiom tbr sumniit 

 of the lofty cliffs, forms a feature of luiusual lieauty in 

 the scenery of our opening year. Lalei in llie siascui, 

 the hill-sides are blue with l\ui Dipteixieanthus divpens 

 and D. cillosus, which remain in bloom until autumn,i 

 and in thickets the GUtoria Mariana, the largest of oiu' 

 leguminous flowers, is I'lequeutly met. The Aynve 

 Virginica and Vuci-iiiium urhmfinn oeeiir only among the 

 dry hills, and the I', rn.-nia,,^. willi its pleasant Iruit— 

 erroneously called a liuel^leliei] y tlinm-lidut the coun- 

 try— is fjuite conuniin in tln^ same sitiiatiuiis. 'i'liis last 

 oi'cuis especially anieni;- the Pine Hills, on the eastern 

 bdrclers iiClbe Mis-issijii)! bottoms. 



This rciiiun ennsisl- i.la succession of sharp ridges of 

 chirty lime-lnm. -epaiated by narrow, steep ravines; 

 and frequenlly leiniiiiaiin.n', towards the river, in nearly 

 vertical I. lull's, iVum liio to ."lOO feet in height. Its flora 

 partakes to a great extent nf its -,■,.!, .-ical peculiarities, 

 and many plants found .sparingly cU( w \\i-i-r ^i cm in liave 

 spread from these hills as a untie I'.culiar tn lliem 

 alone, so far as I have seen, is tlie Yellow Pine (/'/««.« 

 w/zV/x), loun.l almo.st exclusively upon the summits and 

 sc.iitlicin sinpcs of the ridges mentioned, the Viola ped- 

 datii, V.rhnii auUetia, ctd. 



On the Makandu bluffs, which are frequently fringed 

 with cedars, grows the Corydalu aurea, a Saxi/ruga re- 

 sembling the erosa, but apparently not identical with it. 

 and a Heuchei-a of a species unknown to me, specimens 

 of which I sent you recently. Among others more 

 widely scattered I might mention Ascynim cm.r-Andmi; 

 Sagina apetala.lihus aromaticum, THfvlium >«/««m (which 

 I have also found scattered in single stools through low 

 woods in Franklin county), Passiflora lutea and Physos- 

 tegia Virginiana. The Passion vine (.Passifiora incarnata) 

 has also been found upon the hills near Jonesboro, and 

 grows readily in the open air. The PhysoUegia is one 

 of the finest of our wild flower.s— one of those "which no 

 lady's garden should be without." In cultivation it 

 grows three or four ieet high, sending up a cluster of 

 stout stems, each bearing a close, four-ranked, usually 



compound, spike, six or eight inches long by two or 

 three in thickness . The flowers are a light rose-color, 

 marked with purple spots, and when massed in bloom 

 are notable for their light and airy elegance. 



I will write you further of the lower lands and of the 

 forest trees at another time. S. A. Forbes. 



Pine Barren Plants.— Who, except a botanist, 

 woulil ever dream of the hidden floral treasui'es to be 

 found in the uninviting, dreary-lookin.g pine barrens of 



■ w llanM- uf tl.r niiM.llc an.l urslcin .s'iales, and 



tlic i-icli piaiii,- ..r tlir Wc-t , niMsl all \ ichl the palm to 



beautiful plants. 



Years ago, every now and then a clKinnin,^' plant 

 would reach me in my wanderings, labeled ' 'pine bar- 

 rens, N. J." Surely such ex(iuisite flowers must come 

 from some enchanted fairyland; but no. there was the 

 munistakable label, with the portentous word ' ' pine 

 barrens ;" so my dream of fairyland vanished amid the 

 white, dreary sand of Soutli .lorsey. Still, with each 

 sight of these beautiful flower.s would come a longing to 

 visit the home of their birth. 



My first excursion in the "ban-ens" was early in 

 April , when, after a wearying march through brush and 

 briers, in ilamp places, I suddenly came upon the little 

 trailing evergreen, Pyxidanlhera haihulatu, Miehx. This 

 charming little plant is found in the mitural Order Dia- 

 pensiacem. Botanists give us only two plants in this 

 order, and by many authors these two are made to form 

 each a genus by itself. Diapensia Lapponica, L., ia a 

 little Alpine plant found in the north of Europe and in 

 the niirthern paits of our own country; but our little 

 pine-barren Diapensia, or, according to Gray and other 

 authors, Pyxidanthera, is the one luider consideration. 

 It is so limited in its e.\.tent that it has never received a 

 pet name, Inil no plant more de>. r\es some common 

 name sug,nes|i\c oiiis rare lovdinc-s. 



True, I bad iicci\c.l iliid -pciniens of this plant, 

 and thought it very prctl\ : Imt I was not preparcil for 

 the enchanting, graeelnl lo\cliiie>^ that rc\v:iicli-,l me 

 formy laborious searcli. It \va> ^low inij inlliirlv masses, 

 studded all over among its numerous, tiny, liriglil green 

 leaves with pinkish and uiute buds, with now and then 

 a fully expanded blossom It seemed like sacrilege to 

 disturb it, hidden away as it was from human eyes, and 

 lalled loieibly to mind limerson's exquisite little poem> 



'Uhoiloia! if th 

 This charm is > 

 Tell tliein, deal 



Thenlicaut\ is 

 Why tlioii <\ry\ 



• solitude 



But, i 



■ I'nwci- llial liioii-lil nie tliei-e broilghl 



In April ami May we And in most of the shallow ponds 

 among the barrens a curious water plant, which, al- 

 though it eainiot be strictly called a pine barren plant, 

 yet, from its limited extent and interesting character, 

 requires a passing notice. Its scientific name is Ch-on- 

 tium aguaticum, h., and it has received the very appro- 



