34 



Another conspicuous feature was a series of rows of willow 

 and poplar seedlings which marked quite closely the different 

 heights of the receding waters. 



Since water covered the "island" for approximately three 

 months the first thought was what damage was done to the 

 vegetation. The exact status of the herbaceous plants on the 

 "island" was not known before the flood, and this question 

 cannot be answered completely. The following plants withstood 

 the effect of being submerged or partly submerged for that 

 period of time. 



Salix nigra Marsh. Salix longifolia Muhl. 



Populus deltoides Marsh. A delta acuminata Michx. 



Platanus occidentalis L. Amorpha fruticosa L. 



Gleditsia aquatica Marsh. Rhus Toxicodendron L. 



Ampelopsis cor data Michx. Rubus trivialis L. 

 Ampelopsis arhorea {L.) Rusby Rubus sp. 



Smilax Bona-nox L. Aster sp. — a perennial with 



Cyperus rotundus L. horizontal rootstalks 



The other plants found on the "island" may have grown 

 to maturity from seeds after the waters receded. It appears 

 that the water aided in the germination of seeds as well as 

 carrying seeds which came from plants not found in the im- 

 mediate vicinity. Seeds of Hicoria aquatica Michx., Hie or ia 

 minima Britton (?), Quercus macrocarpa Michx., and Mohroden- 

 dron, which did not germinate were found on the ground. All 

 of these came from a distance of more than three miles since 

 the species mentioned are not represented between this locality 

 and town. 



Willows that had been submerged produced a mass of ad- 

 ventitious roots from the branches of the thick-barked old 

 trees, and from the trunks of the smaller thin-barked trees. 

 From a distance the trees appeared to be draped with Spanish 

 moss. 



No detailed comparative studies were made to compare the 

 amount of annual increment between the flooded and non- 

 flooded trees, altho there appears to have been a decrease in 

 the annual increment as compared with the increment of the 

 previous year. 



