74 BULLETIN OF TJIE 



arbutifolia. Here, too, though well up towards the ford, has been 

 found Polemonium reptans, not seen elsewhere. 



This third section terminates at Piney Branch, and 'from here to 

 Pierce's mill, and as far above as the mouth of Brood Branch, the 

 fourth section extends. This section is well wooded on both sides 

 and includes the enchanting Cascade run which leaps down over 

 the most romantic rocks. Near Pierce's mill are many trees and 

 shrubs, planted there years before, but now well naturalized. 

 Among these are Aralia spinosa, Xanthoxylum Americanum, Acer 

 saccharinum, Pinus strobus, and Carya alba. Below the mill on the 

 creek bottom is a long-abandoned nursery of Populus alba and 

 Acer dasycarpum, from which many of the trees of the city may 

 have been supplied. 



From Broad branch to the Military road is the fifth and per- 

 haps most interesting section of the Rock Creek Region. On the 

 left bank lie the once noted Crystal Springs, and though the build- 

 ings are removed, the springs remain unchanged. Here have been 

 found Ophioglossum vulgatum, Anychia dichotoma, and Perilla oci- 

 moides, as well as Tipularia discolor. On the right bank and above 

 Blagden's mill is a bold bluff iu a short bend of the creek forming 

 a sort of promontory upon which there grows Gaultheria procum- 

 bens, the winter-green or checkerberry, this being its only known 

 locality within our limits. Half a mile farther up and back upon 

 the wooded slope is the spot on which stand a dozen or more fine 

 trees of the Table Mountain Pine, (P. pungens.) Here also was 

 first found Pycnanthenum Torreyi. 



To these there must be added a sixth section extending from the 

 Brightwood road to the north corner of the District of Columbia 

 which lies near Rock Creek. For the first mile there is little of 

 interest, the cultivated land approaching the creek and the low hills 

 near its banks being covered with a short second growth of scrub 

 pine and black-jack. But above the Claggett estate on the right 

 bank, and to some extent on both sides, lies the largest forest within 

 our limits. This wood belongs, I learn, to the Carroll estate and is 

 so designated in this catalogue. In it have been found very many 

 most interesting plants. It was the first extensive tract found for 

 the crowfoot (Lycopodimn complanatuni) and still constitutes the 

 most reliable and abundant source known of this plant. Its present 

 fame, however, rests upon its hybrid oaks, of which some most in- 

 teresting forms have been found there. [See Field and Forest, 



