ON THE AUTUMN FLORA OF SOUTH- 

 EASTERN VIRGINIA. 



Bv Arthur Holi.ick. 



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During the month of September Dr. N. L. Britton pro- 

 posed that we should make a trip to Southeastern Virginia, 

 in order to study the autumn flora of that region, and with 

 that end in view we made Norfolk our headquarters. We 

 arrived at Norfolk September 25th, and immediately com- 

 menced collecting. A branch of the Elizabeth River ex- 

 tends well up into the city, and along these banks were 

 found a large number of the representative plants of the 



Solidago Canadensis^ var. procera^ 5. Caroliniana, 



region. 



Etipatoriton serotmnm, E. perfoliatuniy Baccharis halimifoha 

 and Verbesma Sigesbeckii made up the bulk of the vegeta- 

 tion. Smilax Bona-nox was plentiful, and was the prevail- 

 ing species. Quercns Phellos was common, and seemed a 

 favorite tree for roadside planting in the city. Early on the 

 morning of the 26th we started for Virginia Beach, a portion 

 of the coast near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Here 

 we obtained an excellent idea of the coast flora and added 

 two new plants to the known flora of Virginia, viz. : Eleo- 

 charts ochrcata and Panicum gibbuni. In the sandy swamps 

 and along the borders of ponds, immediately back of the 

 beach, were Ilex opaca, the size of forest trees, and with it 

 were /, vomitoria and /. Cassine. Vitis rotundifolia was found 

 clambering everywhere over the bushes. Locally this grape 



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is known as *'bullace grape,'' and even in its primitive state 

 it is not unpalatable when perfectly ripe. This is the species 

 from which the ** Scuppernong** is said to have been de- 

 rived, — a variety much used for the table, — as we ascertained 

 at Norfolk, where they were served regularly three times a 



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