46 PLANT LIFE IN OKLAHOMA. 



just at the western edge and often from a half to two miles beyond one 

 finds places where numerous small oaks grow very closely together over 

 a fe^v square rods of area showing by their cross-sections about the saane 

 age. One finds no such clusters of quite young trees, nor does one find 

 tlie large oakis in the woods conspicuously clustered. The explanation 

 seems to be that the cluster of young oaks is from acorns left where a 

 coyote, wild-cat, or eagle destroyed a turkey. Most of the trees in the 

 clusters that have been formed for centuries have disappeared in the 

 struggle for existence, and the cluster as sucJi is no longer evident. There 

 axe no new outlying clusters now appearing ^becau^ie. it is believed, there 

 are no longer wild turkeys in these regions. 



PLANT FAMILIES IN OKLAHOMA. 



The following pages give a summarized discussion of the plant life 

 of Oklahoma. The summary is by families, and under each family name, 

 the more common representatives are given, also general statements in 

 regard to habitat, character of growth, distribution, and inuportance. In 

 some cases where several species are known, the number is indicated by 

 the figure (7) within the parenthesis directly following the name. 



FERNS AND AILLIES (PTERIDOPH YTA.) 



FEEISr FAMILY — (Polypodiaceae). — Including a large number of 

 ferns, among which are the scaly, beach, povrdery, maidenhair, bracken 

 and lip, lady, walking, Christmas, shield, woods, evergreen, wood bladder, 

 and sensitive ferns, also several varieties of the royal fern family, adder's 

 tongues, water ferns, the horsetail or scouring rush family, and quill- 

 worts. 



SEED-BEARING PLANTS— FLOWERING PLANTS (SPERM ATOPH YTA). 



GTMNOSPERMAE. 



PINE FAMILY — (Pinaceae). — Includes the pines, cedars (3), 

 juniper, and water cypresses (in .swamps in southeastern comer of the 

 State). 



ANGIOSPERMAE. 



CATTAIL FAMILY— (Ttjphaceae). —The broad-leaved cattail is 

 found in wet places throughout the State, while the narrow leaved or salt 

 plains cattail is found only in wet places in the northwestern part of the 

 State about the salt plains. 



BTJE-REED FAMILY— (Spar ganiaceae) . — Includes the bur-reeds 

 found in moist or wet places in the eastern half of the State. 



POND- WEED FAMILY— (Naiadoceae). —Inclviies the pond-weeds 

 and ditch grasses, water-plantin family (Alis maceae). This family 

 includes the arrowheads {Sagittaria) (9), the burr-heads (Echinodorus) , 

 and water-plantins(4&ma). 



GRASS FAMILY — (Grammeae.) — This family includes a very 

 krge number of grasses, both wild and cultivated, including the Johnson 

 grass, foxtail, reed grass, blue stems, wild oats, and many others. 



