60 STUDIES IN THE VEGETATION OP THE STATS 



weeks later than the prairie willow, S. humilis. The distri- 

 bution of Corylus americaim, the hazel nut, has already been 

 given. The flowers of this species are anemophilous and ac- 

 cordingly ailoga-mous ; the copious, powdery pollen is pro- 

 duced in pendulous aments, protection being afforded by the 

 expanded bracts. It is well known that blue jays, crows, 

 and squirrels look after the dissemination of the hazel nut. 

 A blue jay will easily crowd four to eight of these nuts in his 

 throat and thus carry them from one place to another. 



ELEMENTS OF THE EAELY VEHNAL FLOEAL, ASPECT 



Fades (Wet Meadow Formation) 



Carex stricta. Eleocharis palustris. 



Carex cephaloidea. 



Principal Species 



Comandra umbellate. Carex vulpinoidea (wet mea- 



Baptisia bracteata. dow ) . 



Secondary Species 



Astragalus crassicarpus. Scutellaria parvula. 



Carex festucacea. Senecio integerrimus. 



Carex meadii. S. plattensis. 



Fragaria virginiana. Sisyrinchium angustifolium. 



Lithospermum angusti- Vicia americana. 



folium. Viola obliqua. 



Lithospermum canescens. Viola pedatifida. 



DISCUSSION OF THE EARLY VERNAL FLORAL ASPECT 



The facies of the prairie formation do not contribute to 

 the general aspect and need not be considered now. The 

 sedge meadow facies are Carex stricta, C. vulpinoidea, and 

 Eleocharis palustris. Carex stricta alternates with Spartina 

 cynosuroides in the sedge meadow formation, occupying the 

 wetter portions, where, with,C vulpinoidea, it forms a close> 



