The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-21
CENSUS OF CONNECTICUT
 PLANT LIFE 2,22S Different Plants of Many Families, Genera and
 Species. MANY INTRODUCED VARIETIES Dr. Eames of Bridgeport Makes Valuable. Contributions to
 Record.
MANY INTRODUCED VARIETIES

How many kinds of Towering plants
 grow in Connecticut? An answer al-
 most complete is furnished in the
 Catalogue of the Towering Plants
 and Ferns of Connecticut just print
 ed by the State, as bulletin IA. The
 work contains 569 pages and is com
 piled by a committee of the Connec-
 ticut Botanical society. Not the least
 useful member Of this committee is
 pr. Edwin Hubert Flames of $40 State street, this city, who has contributed many rare genera, species, or varie-
 ties to the list.
 The whole number of plants listed which have been found here, but which are deemed transients.
 These are divided into 134 families, which expand into 479 native genera and 142 introduced genera and these in turn to 1,4S1 native species, and 461 introduced species. Besides these there are 255 native varieties and 31 introduced varieties.
 To the eye of the botanist certain plants, which may look entirely dis similar to the ordinary observer. have certain elemental points in common, generally few in number, indicating a remote common progenitor
 A genus is group of plants hav- ing, generally, larger number of 1ikenesses, usually indicating descent from common ancestor, which in turn branched from one of the fami- lies.
 Species are groups within the genus which bear a close likeness to each other. Varieties are members of a species. which yet, differ from the ordinary type of the species.
 All of these 2,228 plants, and doubt less some not yet discovered, grow within the 4,99O square miles of area, which the state, 150 miles from east to west, and 50 miles from north to south, covers, excluding 145 square miles of surface in three rivers and ], ,O26 lakes and ponds.
 Peculiar zest attaches to plant hunt ing in Connecticut because Connecti- cut soils are nearly all formed from transported material, which has been great distances, and -~ which are ire quently entirely different in chemical composition from the rocks under neath.\ Within a small area many soils may be found. This has an important bearing upon the distri- button of plants, many of which flour tions.
 The committee hopes to make a full Ter research into the relation between chemical constitution of soils and plants growing in them. Some of the best examples of such relationship are found in plants which grow exclusive ly upon lime stone rocks. Or in soils rich in lime Plants which grow only in soil near the seashore are another marked group.
 The plant distribution is affected by  of moisture in the soil, degree of light and shade. The sand plains, the trap rock precipices and the river vallies have their characteristic plants. The APO swamps of the state also have their species. A small group of species chiefly in the southeastern part of the state is by the committee to be the much shrunk portions of large colonies, 1 which, favored by climatic conditions hourished in earlier times.
 The plants are .catalogued in their common well as their Latin names A mere perusal of the index recalls to strol1ers by forest and field memories of many a ranble. Aaron's Beard and Aaron's Rod, Adam & Eve, Adams Cup, Adams Needle and Adder's Ton que; the Amaranth family, all in a row, the Anemones, Anise Root, Candy Tuft, Trailing Arbutus, Balm of Gi- l cad, Bee Balm, Bladder Wort, Butter | eup.
 The list of rare plants in Bridgeport | and it's vicinity has been much extend ed by the careful research of >Dr. l Flames, whose work could only have | been accomplished by much diligence | and trained observation.