i6 



in early spring. Wild phlox {Phlox Hentzii) and the blue flow- 

 ered lupine (Lupinus dijfusus) are very conspicuous, but occur 

 only rather sparingly in scattered patches. At several spots in 

 the hills there have been discovered in recent years a number of 

 colonies of that most charming little carpet plant Pyxidanthera 

 barbulata, called flowering moss. It has been known before only 

 from the pine barrens of New Jersey and North Carolina.* In 

 summer there is a continuous series of bloom that reaches its 

 height in August, with a number of conspicuous composits, such 

 as Chrysopsis graminifolia, Chrysopsis aspera, Chrysopsis pilosa, 

 Vernonia augustif olia, Aster concolor, Silphium composition, 

 Coreopsis delphinifolia and species of goldenrod. 



Other characteristic herbs of the hills are Stillingia sylvatica 

 (queen's delight), Cracca ambigua, Cracca spicata, Amorpha 

 herbacea (lead plant), Indigofera caroliniana (wild indigo), 

 Astragalus apilosus, Hieracium Gronovii, Carduus repandus 

 (thistle), Breweria trichosanthes, Baptisia tinctoria, Asclepias 

 tuberosa (butterfly-weed), Tragia urens, Euphorbia Ipecacu- 

 anhae, Euphorbia Curtisii, Euphorbia maculata, Penstemon 

 laevigatus, Onosmodium virginianum, Paspalum setaceum, and 

 Stenophyllus capillaris. There is a small sedge (Cyperus Mar- 

 tindalei) that is also abundant here, but it had not before been 

 reported from the State. 



The Upland Forests. 



The vegetation of the well drained upland forest of this 

 section has been largely cleared away, but certain areas still 

 remain that exhibit to some extent the primitive conditions. 

 Originally it was as in the sand hills, a two storied forest with 

 long-leaf pine as the dominant, but not the most abundant tree. 

 Most of the pines have now been felled, but the vigorous and 

 luxuriant growth of broad leaved trees that reached almost 

 to the lower limbs of the pine crowns has been scarcely changed. 

 The oaks are the dominant factor now, as they are in the sand 

 hills, but are of different species. The Spanish oak (Quercus 

 falcata) and black oak (Q. velutina) are the largest and by far 

 the most numerous trees. Both of these oaks are of fine propor- 

 tions, often reaching a height of seventy feet and a diameter of 

 3 or 31/0 feet. Next in abundance come the post oak (Q. stellata) 

 and white hickory {Gary a alba). The former, which in the 



♦See my article in Torreya, Vol. II, page 9, Jan., 1911. 



