y 
NOTES ON ALABAMA PLANTS 119 
ovary for the most part one-celled, several-celled near the 
base; placentae parietal; fruit indehiscent, baccate; disk 
manifest. Single known genus, Cryptophila. 
IV. 
With regard to the extent of the geographical range of 
Cryptophila pudica nothing is known at the present time. 
The only known station is St. Bernard, Cullman County, lo- 
cated east of longitude 87°, north of latitude 34°, and an 
approximate altitude of 800 feet above sea-level, in the south- 
ern part of the Carolinian area of the Upper Austral Life 
Zone. Topographically, the locality is part of the table-land 
of Northern Alabama. It is intersected by the channels of 
the Eight Mile Creek and its contributory brooks and brook- 
lets, rather deeply cut and bordered by gradual or somewhat 
steep slopes or occasional bluffs. As the slopes approach 
more or less closely to the water channels the spaces of low- 
lands left are very insignificant as to extent. However, as 
to plant association these narrow stretches are to be consid- 
ered distinct from the upland by its rather mesophile char- 
acter. It is in the upland that the physiognomy of the re- 
gional plant formation, a xerophile mixed forest, finds its 
expression. Originally, the hardwood timber predominated ; 
at present conifers (pines) gain preponderance, and in small 
areas the mixed forest has become replaced by pine growth. 
The mineral constituent of the soil of the place is derived 
mainly from the surface rock, which is sandstone. Along 
water-courses alluvial soil predominates, which is a soil too 
loose for the requirements of Crystophila pudica, and in 
accordance with this fact the lowlands have not proved a hab- 
itat of the plant. Likewise, the plant does not occur in pine- 
lands, however, for a different reason viz., lack of protective 
cover. The true habitat of Cryptophila p. is the xerophile 
mixed forest of the upland. Here, with certain insignificant 
exceptions, the soil consists of a compact fine sandy loam 
When I first began to investigate the character of the root- 
system (inquiring at the same time about the plant’s relation 
with regard to parasitism or saprophytism) I found the ex- 
