1892. ] Mt. Kataadn and its Flora. 49 
‘thorseback’”’. The lower portion of the mountain is covered 
with a dense growth of dwarf black spruce, so dense as to be 
wholly impassable, except by tumbling or rolling over the 
summits of the closely growing trees. 
At the foot of this slide along the borders of a cold moun- 
tain stream, grows the bright-flowered Arnica mollis Hook. 
Dr. Goodale in the Report of the Maine Board of Agriculture 
for 1862, in speaking of this plant, says: ‘‘It is found sparingly 
near Moxie Falls, a few miles from the forks of the Kenne- 
bec. It occurs in great beauty and profusion in the vicinity 
of the cataract of Parlin Pond stream, where its orange flow- 
ers are sprinkled with the spray of the falling water. The | 
iridescence of the flowers as they were bathed in the sunlight 
and spray was a spectacle of much beauty, the orange blossoms 
here and there, overpowering the rainbow coloring of the 
drops of water.’ ; 
_ Nearly half way up the slide, an ice-cold spring issues from 
the side of the mountain, and its waters, rushing down over 
the steep rocks, form the brook just alluded to. Along this 
Stream the green mountain alder, Alnus viridis, grows in 
luxuriance. Above the spring this shrub gives way to more 
alpine forms: we soon meet the dwarf birch (B. glandu- 
losa Mx.), a rather pretty little shrub abundant on the high 
- mountains of New England and New York, and growing as 
far north as Hudson’s Bay. Fruited specimens less than three 
inches high were gathered on the ‘‘horseback’”’. With the 
birch and extending above it, we find the little mountain 
Cranberry, Vaccinium Vitis-Idea. This is a low spreading 
shrub with numerous short, upright branches. The berries 
are numerous, of a dark red color, with an acid taste. They 
are gathered and made into sauce, like the common bog cran- 
The sweet berries of the bog bilberry, V. udig7- 
nosum L.., and mountain blueberry, V. cespttosum, refreshed 
4S on our tedious ascent. At the summit of the slide, occur- 
ning quite frequently and rising but an inch or two above the 
Nea on which it grew was Cutler’s willow, Salix Cut- 
ih Tuck. It may be recognized by its strongly veined, 
elliptical leaves, With this species occurs also S. herbacea L., 
@ Species of even smaller habit than the last. 
_ Forming dense, convex mats over the surface of the rocks 
's the curious Diapensia Lapponica L., a small evergreen plant 
of the Phlox family. The remains of the white flowers, which 
Vol. XVII.—No. 2. 
MISSOURI 
BOTANICAL 
GARDEN. 
