TORREYA 



November, 1913. 

 Vol. 13 No. II 



THE FLORA OF THE SAND BARRENS OF SOUTHERN 



STATEN ISLAND un^Ai 



^t-.;^V vr 

 By Stewart H. Burnham 



n<; TANK 



My first visit to this interesting region was on the 19th of *-^'^*<^'-^ 

 September, 1901. The day was one of those perfect ones after 

 a rain storm; and my companion Mr. J. C. Buchheister, familiar 

 with this locality, was a most excellent guide, showing me where 

 many rarities grew. To reach the barrens, one should start 

 about 7 A.M., and after leaving the ferry at St. George, take the 

 Staten Island Rapid Transit to Huguenot, where one leaves 

 the train, walking westward along Huguenot Avenue to Rossville. 

 The surface of the Island here, as elsewhere, is rolling, and from 

 the hilltops fine views may be had of the Jersey shore and Orange 

 mountains, across Staten Island Sound and the intervening salt 

 marshes. Along this country road many plants grew, the large 

 purple foxglove, Agalinis purpurea (L.) Britton, with its showy 

 rose-colored flowers, was conspicuous in moist grassy places, 

 not only here but also along the railroad from St. George. Over 

 the shrubby growth of sassafras, dwarf sumac and small trees of 

 sour gum and black cherry, the catbrier, Smilax rotundifolia L. 

 clambers, guarding the trumpet honeysuckle, Lonicera semper- 

 virens L., which was both in flower and fruit, against intruders. 

 Other interesting plants occur, as Panicum dichotomiflorum Mx.; ,' 

 Juncus acuminatus Mx. ; Agrimonia parvlflora Soland.; Apocy- 

 num sibiricum Jacq.; Phlox paniculata L.; matrimony vine, 

 Lycium halimifolium Mill., escaping from old gardens; Koellia 

 mutica (Mx.) Britton easily recognized by its whitened upper 

 leaves; and the rice-button and calico asters. Aster dumosus L. 

 and Aster lateriflorus (L.) Britton. 



Rossville with its f|uaint old Revolutionary hostelry, Sherman 



[No. 10, Vol. 13,0! ToKKicYA, conij)rising pp. 225-248, was issued i4 0ctol)er, 1913] 



249 



