28 The Shrubs of North Carolina 



1. Marsh Elder. (Iva frutescens, Linn.) — A coarse unsightly 

 shrub of our salt marshes, 4 to 6 feet high. The whole plant is 

 smoothish, and its leaves lance-shaped, toothed, and about 2 

 inches long. The flower-heads are greenish and unsightly in the 

 forks of the small leaves on the terminal branchlets. 



2. (I. imbricata, Walt.) — This grows upon the sea-beach, and 

 is but partly shrubby, 3 or 4 feet high. The leaves are very thick 

 and fleshy, 1 to li/2 inch long, rarely toothed, and wedge-shaped. 

 The plant has a strong odor like old honey. 



Swamp Loosestrife. (Nessea verticillata, H. B. K.) — A half 

 shrubby plant found in branch swamps of the Lower District, 4 

 to 6 feet high, with slerider, curved, 4 to 6-sided stems. The 

 leaves are 3 or 4 inches long, narrow like those of a Willow, 

 generally growing around the stem in a circle of three. The 

 flowers are clustered in the forks of the leaves, about 1/2 inch 

 wide, purple or roseate, very pretty, reminding one of the blos- 

 soms of the Lagerstraemia or Crape Tree. 



Arbor Vit^e. (Thuja occidentalis, Linn.) — This has its 

 southern limit on the mountains in the northwestern part of the 

 State. From thence through the mountains of Virginia it be- 

 comes more common. It is but a shrub or small tree at the South, 

 but farther north it attains a height of 50 feet, and its timber is 

 used in building and for cabinet work. 



1. Cane. (Arundinaria gigantea, Chapm.) — This belongs to 

 the Grass family, but, being of woody texture, falls within our 

 arrangement. It is 10 to 15 or 20 feet high, found along the river 

 bottoms of the Cape Fear. I am not aware of its existence north 

 of that limit. According to Dr. Chapman, "it is simple the first 

 year, branching the second, afterwards at indefinite periods 

 fruiting, and soon after decaying." The value of the stems for 

 fishing-rods is well known. 



2. Reed. (A. tecta, Muhl.) — This is the common smaller form, 

 2 to 10 feet high, and found in low grounds in each District. 



This completes the list of the Shrubs of North Carolina, so 

 far as they are known to me, with the exception of the following, 

 which are too small and obscure to merit more than a bare 

 enumeration. 



Hypericum. Of this we have five woody species, all with yel- 

 low flowers, one of which (H. prolificum) is occasionally culti- 

 vated under the name of Rock Rose. 



Ascyrum. Much like the preceding, also with yellow flowers. 



Flowering Moss. (Pyxidanthera barbulata, Michx.) — A very 

 pretty, small, trailing evergreen, with white flowers which ap- 



