22 



(Dioscorea villosa), and bracken fern (Pteris aquilina) growing 

 together. 



As we pass through these flat woods in a southerly direction 

 the surface gradually becomes more depressed and the soil 

 damper until we enter a typical flatwoods bay, called a "pocosin" 

 in North Carolina.* In general aspect the flatwoods bay is much 

 like the alluvial bay, but the tiers of vegetation are generally 

 more sharply marked, there being fewer broad leaved trees of 

 medium height to fill in between the pines and the shrubs. 



At the northern end of this bay, near Mr. Miller's house, the 

 distinctive peculiarities of the pocosin are more clearly marked 

 than is usual in this section. The characteristic two story effect 

 of evergreen shrubs is strikingly produced by the open forest of 

 old-field pine with the gall-berry bushes below. The wax myrtle 

 does not enter here, and the gall-berry is the only shrub over most 

 of this end of the bay. On the gentle slope that marks the boun- 

 dary of the bay is a scattered growth of Lyonia mariana and 

 V actinium tenellum. 



Through the main body of the bay there is mixed with the pine 

 a good deal of scattered cypress, and there is a little black gum 

 (Nyssa biflora) and holly (Ilex opaca). In the lowest places 

 the gallberry disappears, but the pine and cypress are scarcely 

 interrupted by the wetter soil. 



On the west side, at this end there is a slightly dryer area over 

 a hundred yards in width where the old-field pine is suddenly 

 replaced by long-leaf pine, but the gall-berry continues on with 

 even greater density and luxuriance. The slight difference in 

 moisture is also indicated by the appearance of Lyonia mariana 

 in considerable amount 



In open places between the bushes in the bay the ground is 

 covered with grasses, sedges, and a few other herbaceous plants. 

 On April 28, 1912, the only flowers in bloom were white violets 

 (Viola primulifolia, pubescent form), cinquefoil (Potentilla caro- 

 liniana), a species of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium) , and a very 

 little of the pretty composite, Thyrsanthema semiflosculare. In 

 dryer parts and in the adjoining flat-woods small bluets (Hous- 

 tonia patens) were in bloom on April 7th. 



As this bay extends toward the southeast it becomes denser; 

 other species of trees and shrubs appear, and the vegetation takes 



♦There is some difference of opinion as to exactly what a pocosin is. See 

 Harper in Bull. Torrey Botanical Club, Vol. 34, page 361. 1007. 



