Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-12-07
THE WHITE MOUNTAIN FLORA.
A University Professors Botanical
Trip.


Among the Clouds-PrCf. John ".
Harshberger of the university of Penn
sylvania is on a botanical trip to the
White mountains TO study the plants
from an geologic standpOint-to exam
inc the conditions which control the
growth and distribution TO the Alpine
plants. The results of his labors will
appear in The Photography of North
America, to be issued as a volume of
Die Vegetation der Eide. TO be publish
ed in Leipzig.
In a half-hOur's visit Prof. Harsh
berger gave some facts concerning our
Alpine flora which will be read with
interest. He states that three noun
tains may be compared with Mt. Wash
ington as to the constituent plants of
their fora. These mountains are Mt
Katahdin in Maine, Mt. Marcy in the
AdirOndacks and Mt. Mitchell in west
ern North Carolina, the latter dome 42I
feet higher than Mt Washington.
The SUBMITS of Mts. Washington
katahdin and Marcy reach above the
limit of tree growth. As the traveller
that the trees grow smaller and more
stunted in appearance, until they are
found PROSTATE on the ground. protect
ed by the powders between which they
grow.
In Maine the dwarf timber is called
"pucker6ush, which forms an impene-
trable growth of interlaced branches
xxrhf
leaving their competitors behind are
the white and black spruces CPicea
alba and nigra) found as the character
trees on Mts. Washington. Katahdin
and Marcy. At a lower elevation on
these mountains in a stunted form are
found the mountain ash. SOrbus Amer
icana, and on Mt Washington the vel
low birch, betula lutea, and black birch.
betula lenta, with the abOve-mentioned
species, reach nearly to tree limit.
Some of these trees are extremely oil
IL is estimated that some of them are
over 100 years of age. One of the OBJ
Jects OF the bOtanist is to determine
the relative growth of these trees by
studying statistically the annual incre-
ments of growth and the character of
the woody tissue formed during the
life of the tree under the adverse con-
ditions of the mountain tops. Mt.
Mitchell is clothed with tree vegeta-
ton clear to the summit. GIL feet
This is probably accounted for ty diff
ference OF latitude The black spruce
(Picea nigra) associated with Fraser's
balsam (Abies Fraseri), are the trees
which form the forset vegetation of the
summit of this mountain.
A partial list of the herbaceous
plants common TO all mountains men,
toned are arenaria groenlandica. OK
ais acetosella, veratrum viride, poten-
tilla tridentata. Mts. Washington and
Hatahdin show more truly Alpine con-
ditions than Mt Marcy in the AdirOn-
dacks. Mt Mitchell has no truly Al
Pine species.
Botanists believe that the Alpine
species such as suellaria boreaIis. Aren-
ara sroenlandica, pOtentilla tridenta.
"a. solidago virgaurea var alpestris.
cassiope hypnoides, diapensia lapponi-
ca. ETC., were left on these higher
mountains upon the retreat of the gla
ciers which reached as far south as
the northern confines of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania.
1t may be mentioned in closing that
a study of the conditions of growth of
Alpine plants reveals the fact that
their stunted growth is due to four
factors, namely. short season of growth
lat most three months), intense sun
shine, cold nights. when most rapid
growth should take place and strong
cold winds. 1t is also noteworthy that
the oolors of the flowers of Alpine
plants are more brilliant than those OF
lower attitudes.