No. 543] 



NOTES AND LITERATURE 



175 



cies. In many parts of the northern states there is a prepon- 

 derance of Beech and Maple, with a comparatively small number 

 of other trees growing with them, but nowhere in the real forest 

 area do we find the pure forests of Beech or Oak which are 

 common in northern Europe. 



In marked contrast with the preponderance of deciduous for- 

 ests over most of the eastern states, are the areas known as Pine- 

 barrens, characterized in certain districts by an almost pmv for- 

 est of Pines, usually of a single species. Professor Harshberger 

 gives a very exhaustive account of the Pine-barren flora, which 

 he has evidently studied with great care. 



At the north the prevalent Pine is Finns rigida, with which 

 are found associated some scrub oaks. Nyssa, Liquidambar, 

 Sassafras and others, as well as a rich growth of showy ericace- 

 ous shrubs. The poor sandy soil is especially adapted to Krica- 

 cea?, and Huckleberries, Azaleas, Kalmias, Ehododendrons, etc., 

 are conspicuous features of the undergrowth. There are also 

 extensive cranberry bogs where many beautiful Orchids occur, 

 as well as Pitcher plants, Sundews and other interesting bog 

 plants. In the coastal bogs of North Carolina grows the unique 

 Venus 's fly trap (Dioncea) and the long trumpets of the South- 

 ern Pitcher plants. 



Over extensive regions of the Gulf states reaching into Texas 

 are extensive forests of Pines, whose value as timber trees is only 

 too well appreciated. The most important of these southern 

 Pines is the long-leaf pine (P. palustris). 



In the southern portion of the Atlantic states there is an infu- 

 sion of tropical types, the most striking of which are the Palms, 

 the common Palmetto reaching as far north as the coast regions 

 of North Carolina. Certain genera of unmistakable tropical 

 affinity reach even to the northern states. A conspicuous ex- 

 ample is the Paw-paw (Asimina), a representative of the charac- 

 teristic tropical family of Custard-apples. In the Gulf states 

 there are many examples of plants of tropical affinities, includ- 

 ing certain Orchids and members of the Pineapple family, of 

 which the most familiar example is the Spanish moss, Tillandsia. 



The southern part of Florida is very different in its flora from 

 the northern portion, which is essentially the same as that of the 

 other Gulf states. The southern extremity of Florida together 

 with the Florida Keys really belongs to the West Indian floristic 

 region. This is the only part of the United States which has a 



