i8 



THE CAPE SABLE REGION OF FLORIDA 



and settlement, is unique. The population numbers about 

 one hundred souls, or in other words, there are about as 

 many people as there are acres. They are all fisher-folk; 

 and in addition, at seasons, decidedly inclined to eccle- 

 siastical observances and celebrations. 



We were surprised to find a number of tropical plants 

 there. The island and Cape Romano, a few miles 

 further north, represent the limit of most of the tropical 

 vegetation on the western side of the Florida peninsula. 

 One West Indian plant, a relative of our poke-weed, is 

 known to occur in our flora only on Chokoloskee Island. 

 The cat's-claw {Pithecolohium Ungiiis-Cati) and the 

 caper-tree (Capparis fammcensis) grew in abundance 

 nearly everywhere in the hammock. Prickly-pears were 

 ubiquitous, growing all the way from tide-water to the 

 tops of the hills. 



On the following day the region about the headwaters 

 of the Chokoloskee River was our objective. 



After crossing the bay our first stop was Turner Is- 

 land, which is another kitchen-midden situated at the 

 mouth of the Chokoloskee River. Here among other 

 interesting plants we found one of our rarer lip-ferns, 

 Cheilanthes microphylla, growing in the heaps of oyster- 

 shells. The most conspicuous plant in bloom at that sea- 

 son was a kind of ragwort, or Senecio, with very bright- 

 yellow flower-heads. It occurred in great masses at 

 many points on both sides of the river. As we ascended 

 the river, stops were made at several small kitchen- 

 middens on the banks. The smallest kitchen-midden, 

 and that nearest the head of the river, is known to the 

 inhabitants of Chokoloskee and to hunters as Mt. Pleas- 



