Flora of Peoria. 29 
hills beyond. There is an abundance of water in these springs to supply a 
city of five hundred thousand. Some of these springs spread out and flow a 
few inches deep over a large surface of clean, white sand. Here is the home 
of the Nasturtium officinale which has been introduced and now covers sev- 
eral acres. Beyond this bottom as above intimated is a range of hills origin- 
ally covered with timber, and in many places broken into deep ravines and 
interspersed with little shady valleys. | 
With such a topography the flora could not be otherwise than varied and 
and rich. In fact, almost every species of plants which grow in middle Illi- 
nois and some others have been found within five miles of our court house. 
While we have many species of trees, except on the borders of the river, 
the prevailing ones are the Quercus, of which there are nine species, namely, 
the Quercus rubra, coccinia, alba, macrocurpa, imbricaria prinoides, Q. bicolor, 
Q. nigra and one Leana. Gray says the Quercus Leana is probably a hybrid 
between Q. imbricaria and Q. tinctoria or possibly Q. nigra. But that cannot 
be true in this case, as there are no trees of the Q. tinctoria or Q. nigra in this 
vicinity. It may bea hybrid between the Q. imbricaria and Q. coccinea, 
which are plentiful in the vicinity where it grows. 
The Acer saccharinum on the high land and the Acer dasycarpum on the 
bottoms are very common. The Acer rubrum is not found here. The 
Negundo aceroides flourishes on the bottoms. The Carya olivoformis, alba 
sulcata, tomentosa, microcarpa (?), and amara are found here, though none of 
them are very abundant. The Juglans nigra and cinerea are common. The 
Tilia Americana iscommon. The Sassafras officinale, the only representative 
of the laurel family, is also common. The Ulmus fulva and Americana are 
* not rare. The Platanus occidentalis grows to great size on the borders of the 
river. The predominating trees of the river banks and bottoms here, as on 
most of the western rivers are the Populus monilifere and various species of 
Salix. Of the later we have the S. candida, S. humulis, S. discolor, 8. serica, 
S. petiolaris, S. cordata var. angustata, 8. nigra, 8. longifolia. 
The Populus tremuloides and P. grandidentata are found in large clumps 
or little groves on higher but moist ground. 
The Celtis occidentalis is common and has proved to be the best shade tree 
for our city. The Morus rubra is seen occasionally, but is rather rare. The 
Prunus serotina is rather rare. The Fraxinus Americana, F. pubescens, F. 
viridis, F. sambucifolia and quadrangulata are common forest trees. 
The Gleditchia triacanthos and Gymnocladus canadensis are found here as 
elsewhere solitary and alone, rarely, if ever, in clusters or groves. The Aescu- 
lus glabra is not rare in the bottom lands. Of evergreen trees there is but one 
representative, the Juniperus Virginiana, and it is rare. 
Of smaller trees and shrubs there are many, among which may be named the 
Carpinus Americana, Ostrya Virginica, Hamamelis Virginica, rare, Corylus 
Americana, very common, Asimina triloba, Rhus glabra and aromatica, Rham- 
nus lanceolatus and alnifolius, Enonymus atroperpureus, Amorpha fruticosa, 
Cercis canadensis, Prunus Americana, Cratcegus coccinea, tomentosa (three 
varieties), Crus-galli, Pyrus coronaria, Amalanchier Canadensis, Cornus 
sericea, stolonifera, asperifolia, paniculata and alternifolia, Viburnum pruni- 
folium and lentago. The latter is much the more common. Cephalanthus 
occidentalis, Zanthroxylum Americanum, Diospyros Virginiana in a few piaces 
on the river, but only as a small tree, Ptelia trifolia, and Staphylea trifolia. 
Of indigenous vines the chief ones are the following: Clematis Virginiana 
and Pitcheri, Meuispermum canadense, Rhus toxicodendron, Vitis aestivalis 
cordifolius and riparia, Ampeleopsis quinquefolia, Celastrus scandeus, Apios 
tuberosa, Amphicarpzea monoica, Sicyos angulatus, Echinocystis lobata, Teco- 
ma radicans, Ipomcea lacunosa and pandurata, Calystegia sepium, Cuscuta 
gronovii compacta and glomarata, Humulus lupulus, Polygonum cilinode and 
dumetorum, Dioscorea villosa, Smilax hispida and herbacia. 
