]98 



uncompleted Flora of North America, so it is not surprising that 

 a good many of the plants were wrongly identified by Dr. Hil- 

 gard, through no fault of his. 



In view of these conditions any one entering the state of Mis- 

 sissippi for the first time can hardly have a very definite idea of 

 what to expect there in the way of vegetation. Louisiana is still 

 more of a terra incognita phytogeographically, though from the 

 standpoint of the systematist there is perhaps not much more 

 botanical work to be done in either state, since nearly all the 

 indigenous species are doubtless already known to science. The 

 following fragmentary notes, though made at the most unpromis- 

 ing season of the year, may contribute in some slight degree to 

 a better understanding of the vegetation (as distinguished from 

 the flora) of this part of the coastal plain. 



I entered Mississippi a little south of the middle of its eastern 

 border, in Lauderdale County, in the Lower Eocene region of 

 the coastal plain, on the afternoon of December 26, 1905. From 

 the state line to Meridian, and in fact all the way through Lau- 

 derdale, Clarke and Jasper counties, Pinus glabra was common * 

 and Magnolia grandiflora frequent in hammock lands along 

 streams. These two trees, which have very nearly the same 

 range and habitat, at least in Georgia and Alabama, are probably 

 not found much farther inland in Mississippi than where I first 

 noticed them. Pi)ins paliistris was seen occasionally in Clarke 

 and Jones counties, but I had scarcely entered the pine-barrens 

 proper when it became too dark for further observations, the train 

 I was on being unfortunately over an hour late, as is often the 

 case at that season of the year. 



The topography of this Eocene region of Mississippi is quite 

 varied, a little more so perhaps than the corresponding parts of 

 Georgia and Alabama. Several inland-facing escarpments (or 

 cucstas, as they are sometimes called by geographers) in the 

 vicinity of ^Meridian are high enough to be known locally as 

 " mountains," and the railroads follow rather sinuous courses in 

 getting over them. A little above Enterprise, in Clarke County, 



* Its occurrence in Clarke County is mentioned on page 344 of Dr. Hilgard's 

 book above cited, under the name of " Bottom White Pine." 



