16 BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 



quently carpets large areas; Euphorbia corallata, L^ 

 (Flowering spurge); Syndesmon thalictroides (L) 

 Hoffinsg. (Rue Anemone); Lithospermum canescens, 

 (Mx.) Lehm. (Hoary Puccoon); Desmodium, several 

 species; Hedeoma pulegioides (L.) Pers. (American 

 pennyroyal); Heliopsis scabra; (L) B. S. P. (Rough 

 Ox-eye); Aster laevis L. (Smooth Aster); Aster undu- 

 latus Iv. (Wavy-leaf Aster); Aster ericoides L. (White- 

 heath Aster); Solidago, several species. In the meso- 

 phytic woodlands occur the usual early geophilous 

 Spring flowers in abundance, while in the Autumn the 

 following flourish: Bupatorium ageratoides L- (White 

 snake-root); Adicea pumila L,. (Raf. Rich weed or clear- 

 weed); Impatiens biflora, Walt. (Spotted touch-me-not); 

 Lobelia syphilitica L. (Blue lobelia); Aster Novae- 

 Angliae L. (New England Aster); Sanicula Marylandica 

 L. (Black snake root); Urticastrum divaricatum (L.) 

 Kuntze (Wood Nettle), etc. One specimen of Aralia 

 racemosa ly. (American Spikenard) was found in one 

 of the wettest woods, which occurs on the median 

 plane. 



All gradations between the xero-mesophytic and 

 the mesophytic societies occur on different portions of 

 the Ridges according to the direction and steepness of 

 the slope, and the depth and character of soil. 



ROADSIDE SOCIETY. 



Along the roadsides and fence-rows, especially old 

 worm-fences, some of the plants, originally occurring 

 on the area, survive and flourish, silent witnesses of the 

 character of former conditions and plant societies. 

 More frequently they ofier ready footing to new arri- 

 vals, prophecies of future societies. As a rule the con- 

 ditions of life of roadside plants are much more adverse 

 than those offence-rows, and in consequence they must 

 possess greater power of surviving in spite of hard. 



