ease i sa gt a rea 
1905] WHITFORD—FORESTS OF FLATHEAD VALLEY 195 
streams; also one large pond known as Ross (Mud) Lake, which, 
with its outlet Ross Creek and the numerous small inlets, comprise 
the drainage of the extreme north end of the valley. 
The most noteworthy fact about the hydrophytic vegetation is 
its resemblance to that found in similar edaphic situations in the 
eastern United States, both types of swamps being found here. 
Near the head of Ross Lake is a sphagnum meadow, in which Meny- 
anthes trijoliata, Drosera rotundifolia, Comarum palustre, Erioph- 
orum polystachyon, and Betula pumila are characteristic. At least 
two other large meadows show this combination. One of these is 
along Little Bear Creek, and is known as the School Meadow; 
another is found along Flathead River, and will be discussed in con- 
nection with the spruce forest which lies close to it. Ross Lake 
(fig. 9) is a pond which shows very well the zonal distribution of 
plants, being shallow and with a very muddy bottom. In its center 
and in streams bordering it are found the following characteristic 
species: Nymphaea advena, Brasenia purpurea, four species of Pota- 
mogeton, Myriophyllum, and Hippuris. The sedge zone bordering 
the water of the shallow ponds and streams contains the following 
species: Bromus Richardsonii pallida, Muhlenbergia racemosa, Carex 
utriculata, C. viridula, C. hystricina, Calamagrostis caespiiosa, 
Phalaris arundinacea, Juncus Regelii, Scirpus lacustris occidentalis, 
Lobelia sp., Cicuta maculata, Solidago sp., and Dodecatheon sp. 
The meadows are usually submerged during the spring and early 
summer months, when the melting snow of the mountains to the east 
swells the streams, and brings the water level slightly above the sur- 
face. In the latter part of the summer and fall the underground 
water level is a little below the surface; and it is this condition of 
submergence and emergence that determines the meadows and 
excludes trees. Of course some of these meadows are never entirely 
submerged, but are always wet, with few exceptions being associated 
with streams. The largest meadows are found near the head of Ross 
Lake, at its foot on the east side, near the mouth of Wolf Creek, at 
the foot of Swan Range along Little Bear Creek, and in the large 
bend of the river just east of Swan River cafion. 
The meadows are given brief mention here in connection with 
this forest study because they are genetically related to the spruce 
