Bulletin - United States National Museum - Smithsonian Institution

FLORA OF WASHINGTON AND VICINITY. 25
a small swamp a quarter of a mile beyond and to the eastward. Here
on the dry ground have been found Onosmodium Virginianuin, Clitoria
Mariana, and Habenaria lacera, while in the swaraiJ occur Aster wstivus,
Solidago stricta, Woodwardia Virginica, Asclepias rubra, Poteriiim Cana-
dense, and numerous other plants rare or absent in other localities.
5. The Reform ScJiool Region.
This locality is A^ery limited in extent but has proved one of the most
fertile in botanical rarities. Its nucleus consists of a little swampy spot
a short distance to the south of the National Eeform School, in which is
located a beautiful spring ;
but the woody tract of country surrounding
this and stretching southward and eastward some distance has also
proved very fruitful. In the different portions of this region have been
discovered Phlox maculata, Melanthium Virginicum, Bartonia tenella^
Lespedeza Stuvei, Besmodium Marylandicum and B. ciliare, Buchnera
Americana, Fimbristylis capillaris, Quercus prinoides, Carex bullata,
Habenaria eiliaris, and Gentiana ochroleuca, most of which do not occur
at all elsewhere.
6. The Holmead Swamp Region.
Like the last, this locality is quite circumscribed in area, but like it,
too, it is rich in interesting plants. It occupies a ravine leading to
Piney Branch from the east, at the point where the continuation of
Fourteenth street crosses that stream. The road connecting the last
named with the Eock Creek Church road, and which is called S]>ring
Street, follows this valley. The collecting- grounds are on the south side
of this road and in the spl-ingy meadow along the rill. The timber has
long been cut off but the boggy character of the ground has thus far
protected it from cultivation. The pasturing of animals on it during a
portion of the year has latterly become a serious detriment to the growth
of plants. Mr. Holmead, who owns it and lives near by, has kindly
permitted botanists to investigate it for their purposes. Here have
been found Ludwigia hirsuta, Brosera rotundifoUa, Asclepias rubra, Xyris
Jlexuosa, Fuirena squarrosa, Rhynchospora alba, Coreopsis discoidea, and
the beautiful Calopogon pulchellus, the most showy of our orchids.
In addition to these specially fertile tracts, there are many other
localities of great interest where valuable accessions to our flora have
been made, and which will be particularly designated under the names
of these species. It will suffice here to mention a wet meadow between
the i^ational Driving Park and Bladensburg, where, in a very diminu-