No. 17] FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS 35 
Lonicera sempervirens Asimina triloba 
Brunnichia cirrhosa Aesculus glabra 
Kraunia frutescens 
Common herbaceous forms over the river bottoms are: 
Clematis crispa Osmunda cinnamomea 
Arisaema quinatum Dioscorea villosa 
Phlox divaricata Ilysanthes gratioloides 
Ranunculus nitida Viola cucullata. 
Polymnia uvedalia 
Pontotoc Ridge.—This, the next topographic and soil divi- 
sion to be recognized, consists of a broad high ridge intricately 
eroded into hills and subordinate ridges with intervening val- 
leys of streams whose headwaters begin here. This broken 
upland, having in places, an elevation of nearly 800 feet above 
sea level, forms the water-shed of streams flowing east and 
southeast into the Tombigee, southwest into the Mississippi, 
and north into the Tennessee. 
The soils of the region are red sandy loams derived from 
the weathering of the glauconitic sandy marls of the basal Ter- 
tiary and uppermost Cretaceous beds. These red soils are 
much richer in plant food than their appearance would indicate, 
and support a rich growth. The plants of Pontotoc Ridge 
present decided differences from those of the prairies lying 
to the east, and the tertiary Flatwoods on the west. 
The northern part of the ridge is much broken into preci- 
pitous hills and sand ridges about the headwaters of the Hat- 
ehie River, and the soil is sandy and rather sterile, so that the 
erowth partakes largely of the character of the red sand hills 
of the prairie belt. Pines (Pinus mitis and Pinus taeda) are 
the principal tree growth, but with considerable admixture of 
caks (Quercus stellata, Quercus nigra, Quercus falcata, Quer- 
cus prinus) and chestnut. From New Albany, in Union Coun- 
ty, southward the soil is less sandy, richer, and the hills less . 
broken. In this part. the tree growth presents, besides the 
above species, the following in considerable abundance: 
Quercus rubra Acer rubrum 
Quereus acuminata Fagus ferruginea 
