3, We t meadow . — Many acres of formerly cultivated fields scattered 

 throughout the refuge are nearly level and have a compact clay subsoil, 

 resulting in a confined water table and enough moisture in the surface 

 soil to maintain a great variety of typically marsh-meadow plants. The 

 growth is much the same whether the fields are on terraces just above 

 the level of the river bottoms or on the broad tops of the higher hills. 

 The commonest plants are: 



Panicum microcarpon. 

 Carex lurida. 

 lleocharis capitata. 

 Rhynchospora capitellata. 

 Juncus spp . 

 Viola sagittata. 



Rhexia spp. 



Oenothera longipedicellata. 



Apocynum cannabinum, var. pubescens. 

 Pycnanthemum spp. 

 Eupatorium spp. 



L iquidamba r styracifl ua is an early and abundant invader of wet meadows. 

 Where wet-meadow soil has recently been bared, C;. T perus strigosus and 

 Pimbristylis mucronulata are common. 



4. Shrub s wamp . — The largest shrub swamp is on the highland side of 

 the bottoms near the southeast end of the west tract; other much smaller 

 ones are scattered along the highland side of the bottoms, along the val- 

 leys of the brooks, on the river-valley terraces, and rarely in seepage 

 areas on the slopes. The most abundant shrubs and the conspicuous herbs 

 are: 



Shrubs 



Alnus rugosa. 

 Magnolia virginiana. 

 Aronia arbuti folia. 

 Rosa palustris. 

 Toxicodendron vernix. 



Ilex verticillata. 

 Clethra alnifolia. 

 Rhododendron viscosum. 

 Vacciniuin atrococcum. 

 Cephalanthus occiden talis, 



Herbs 



Osmunda cinnamomea. 

 Carex folliculata. 



Carex laevivaginata, 

 C. stricta. 



5. Swamp forest . — Small tracts of swamp forest occur along the high- 

 land side of the bottoms, on the terraces, along brooks, and in upland hol- 

 lows. Dominant trees and common shrubs and herbs are:'- 



Trees 



Be tula nigra. 

 Qu e r cus p alus t r i s . 

 Q,. phellos. 

 Magnolia virginiana. 



L i qui damb ar s t ry rac i f lua . 

 Acer rub rum. 

 Fyssa sylvatica. 



