Flora of the Allegany State Park Region 15 



very limited shrubby undergrowth consisting chiefly of 

 Viburnum alnifolium and Taxus canadensis. The forest 

 floor in many places was otherwise clear of any con- 

 spicuous growth, but certain herbaceous perennials were 

 common, such as llabenaria orbiculata, Viola rotundi- 

 folia, Oxalis Acetosella, Dalibarda repens etc. The south 

 and west facing slopes being drier contained a larger 

 percentage of hardwoods and a correspondingly larger 

 number of species in the shrubby and herbaceous under- 

 growth. The character of the primeval forest on the con- 

 glomerate formation of the higher ridges we can only 

 guess. It undoubtedly possessed a deeper humus than 

 at present and probably contained the best oak and chest- 

 nut of the region as well as a very rich shrubby and 

 herbaceous undergrowth. 



From what has been said it is obvious that broadly 

 speaking the plants which prefer open places and thin 

 woods have multiplied greatly since the lumbering opera- 

 tions, while those of the deeper humus of the shaded 

 primeval forest, which have not been able to adapt them- 

 selves to the changed conditions, are now greatly cir- 

 cumscribed in their distribution and abundance. We 

 know, however, that the native flora of the primeval 

 forest, with the exception of a comparatively few species, 

 possesses a remarkable capacity for adaptation to chang- 

 ing conditions, if such changes are not too extreme and 

 rapid. If this were not the case very little of the primeval 

 flora of the northeastern states would now be left. Thus 

 while certain species have increased in abundance and 

 others have diminished, only a few have probably en- 

 tirely passed from the scene. 



The Chemung shale, which is the principal geological 

 formation in the region, contains some shell remains 

 and this has contributed to the presence of a slight cal- 



