FIELD TRIPS OF THE CLUB 



Trip of May 7, 1939, to Croton Lake 



Thirteen members and guests were present on this trip to the 

 vicinity of Croton Lake, N. Y. This was the first time the Club 

 has ever scheduled a trip to this precise locality and it was made 

 possible this year through the kindness of the Gerding family, 

 Mr. W. H. Oliver, and Miss Viola Richtberg, to whom the Club 

 tenders its most sincere thanks. The day was spent in exploring 

 the shores of a little artificial lake about half a mile from Croton 

 Lake and in climbing over the cliffs and through the woods and 

 swamps bordering it. In the waters of the lake quantities of 

 Utricularia macrorhiza, Callitriche palustris, and Isnardia palus- 

 tris were seen, and on the margins, Scirpus lineatus, Ludwigia 

 alternifolia (last year's stems), and great quantities of Lythrum 

 salicaria (last year's stems and small new basal shoots). In the 

 swamps stands of Symplocarpus foetidus, Veratrum viride, Cal- 

 tha palustris, Viburnum cassinoides, and the characteristic tus- 

 sock sedge (Carex stricta) proved of interest, and, along little 

 woodland streams, Chrysosplenium americanum, Cardamine bul- 

 bosa, and Viola pallens. In the woodlands some specimens of 

 Dicentra cucullaria, Hepatica americana, and Erythronium amer- 

 icanum were still found in bloom, and hundreds of examples of 

 Anemonella thalictr aides, Anemone quinquefolia, Panax trifolia, 

 Oakesiella sessilifolia, Geranium maculatum. Benzoin aestivale, 

 Arisaema triphyllum, Chimaphila maculata, Aralia nudicaulis, 

 Trillium erectum, Viola conspersa, and V. triloba. One plant of 

 the color variant, Trillium erectum var. flavum, was observed. 

 Among the rocks on the cliffs were found large stands of Asarum 

 canadense, Micranthes (Saxifraga) virginiensis, Arabis laevi- 

 gata. Poly podium virginianum, Mitchella repens, Caulophyllum 

 thalictr oides, and Maianthemum canadense, and scattered colum- 

 bine {Aquilegia canadensis). Common everywhere, and con- 

 spicuous because of being in full anthesis, were two sedges, Ca- 

 rex pennsylvanica and C. platyphylla, the wood-rush (Luzula 

 campestris var. multiflora), and the sweet-fern {Comptonia pere- 

 grina). Two buttercups were found, Ranunculus abortivus and 

 R. hispidus. Last year's fruiting-stalks of Lespedeza hirta, two 

 species of pinweed (Lechea villosa and L. minor). Verbena has- 

 tata, Oenothera biennis, and Gerardia purpurea gave practice in 



118 



