22 PREFACE. 



clay region. Thus. a patch of this tree may be seen 

 on the gravelly hills eight miles west of Wadesboro, 

 which is probably the most western limit of its ap- 

 pearance within the State. Not unfrequently also 

 there are found small portions of land in the Middle 

 District, very much resembling the savannas and low 

 pine woods of the Lower, the soil being sandy, turfed 

 with coarse grasses, and shaded with Short-leaved 

 Pines. In these situations, which are met with as 

 far west as Henderson County, will always be found 

 some species of plants which, except in such places, 

 are peculiar to the Lower District. 



The Lower District might easily be divided into 

 three Botanical regions, each characterized by certain 

 species of plants of well defined range. These will 

 be only indicated, as details are unnecessary to the 

 purpose in view. The first region includes only the 

 line of sea-coast which produces maritime species, or 

 those which grow only within the influence of a 

 saline atmosphere. These are not numerous, and the 

 only ones of much note are the Live Oak and Pal- 

 metto. The second region extends inland as far as 

 the Long Moss is produced. The third, from thence 

 to the Middle District. 



The Middle District reaches westward to the base 

 of the Blue Ridge. In this the forests are character- 

 ized by a predominance of Oaks, as the Lower is by 

 the presence of Pines. It is far less productive of 

 rare and peculiar plants than either of the others. 

 Though it furnishes some that do not belong to the 



