1903] FLORA OF NORTH CAROLINA 377 
ing a pure growth, are Acer spicatum, Betula lutea, Aesculus 
flava, Sorbus americana, and Crataegus sp. (Sorbus-Acer Asso- 
ciation). The trees are large and rugged, and clothed even to 
the topmost branches with dense coats of moss. Mosses and 
lichens cover the ground as with a dense mat a foot or more 
thick. The trunks of fallen trees are buried from sight by a 
living mound of green, set with flowers and ferns. The mosses 
and lichens collected by the writer, which form the Polytrichum- 
Hypnum Association on Potato Top and Clingmans Dome com- 
prises the following: Polytrichum gracile, Sematophyllum deli- 
catulum, Hypnum fertile, Hylocomium proliferum, Bazzania 
trilobata, Hylocomium triquetrum, Dicranum fuscescens, Hyp- 
num reptile, Polytrichum ohioense, and Stereocaulon coralloides. 
Associated with these mosses are herbaceous plants and ferns, 
z.. Oxalis acetosella, Viola blanda, Lycopodium lucidulum, 
and Aspidium spinulosum intermedium. Houstonia serpyllifolia 
is also abundant. The rocks support in sunny places Sedum 
and telephioides, Carex rosea radiata, Saxifraga leucanthemifolia, 
Krigia montana (Sedum-Carex Association). 
The green hellebore is found wherever the timber is more 
open and in extensive patches many square feet in area ( Veratrum 
Association). The same association of species extends to the 
tops of the several mountains composing the Black Mountain 
Range. Acer spicatum and Sorbus americana (Sorbus -Acer 
Association) are met with in this forest belt. Many seedling 
Spruces are providing a natural regeneration of the forest. Asa 
secondary but important element of this belt at high elevations, 
is the Rhododendron catawbiense, beneath which as herbaceous 
associates are found Viola blanda, Trillium erectum, and Clintonia 
borealis (Rhododendron catawbiense Association). 
The natural meadows on this range of mountains, surrounded 
by the forest of balsam and black spruce trees, are composed of 
such species as Carex intumescens, Juncus effusus, Carex scoparia, 
C. brunnescens gracilior, C. tenuis, Poa pratensis, Agrostis alba, 
Poa alsodes, Juncoides bulbifera (Carex-Poa Association). 
The coniferous forest extends to the summit of Mount Mitchell 
6,71 {2 AE) without any indication of subalpine or alpine 
