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NOTE ON THE PLANTS OF WALLOP'S ISLAND, 

 VIRGINIA 



By W. L. McAtee 



During a visit to Wallop's Island, off the eastern shore of the 

 upper peninsula (Accomac County) of Virginia, from May 23 

 to June 2, 1913, the writer gathered as complete a collection of 

 plants as possible. His intention was to prepare a report upon 

 them that would fully illustrate the flora of the island at that 

 season. After bringing the collection to Washington, however, 

 and before more than a beginning had been made in identifying 

 it, the whole lot was ruined by the terrific wind and rain storm 

 of July 30, 1913, which smashed the windows of our offices and 

 deluged the interior with more than two inches of rain. 



There remained only notes upon the species that had previously 

 been identified. Since it is not likely that the writer will have 

 the opportunity of making another collection at this locality, 

 and since some of the records have interest from the standpoint 

 of geographical distribution, the fragmentary list is herewith 

 presented. 



Of all the plants observed on Wallop's Island, the writer will 

 remember longest the yellow thistle {Cirsium horridulum) . The 

 plants were chiefly low rosettes, but vigorous and luxuriant in 

 appearance, each framing a single very large flower head of a 

 pale but beautiful yellow — to most observers an entirely unex- 

 pected hue for a thistle. Another point of interest in connection 

 with this island is the presence of large stumps of Chamaecyparis 

 thyoides, in situ on the outer beach — a bit of evidence such as is 

 found at many points along the Atlantic coast of fairly recent 

 and probably continuing submergence. 



According to oral evidence there was a time, within the memory 

 of men now of middle age, when Wallop's Island had no trees. 

 The largest pine now present is about eighteen inches in diameter. 

 This species of pine {P: taeda) is called sap or Virginia pine in this 

 neighborhood, while P. virginiana, which grows on the mainland, 

 is known as bastard, spruce or scrub pine. Another interesting 

 local name heard here was kink's bushes for Baccharis. 



