PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PEAT. Rumex verticillatus L. Along comparatively large streams whose surface fluctuates very little, because of the nearness either of the ocean or of some large spring, or both. Seems to be commonest in calcareous regions, perhaps mostly because the rivers in such regions are fed largely by big springs. Franklin, Wakulla, Levy, Sumter and Putnam Counties. Widely distributed in the Eastern United States. LORANTHACEAE. Mistletoe Family. Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nutt. Mistletoe. Common from DeSoto County northward, on various hardwood trees, especially on Nyssa biflora, the swamp black gum. Although it grows high above the ground, when it is in a swamp it must contribute to the formation of peat. Widely distributed in the Eastern United States outside of the glaciated region and higher mountains. ULMACEAE. Elm Family. Ulmus Floridana Chapm. Elm. In low hammocks, calcareous swamps, etc.; sometimes forming a little peat. Jackson, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Lafayette, Levy, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, and doubtless other counties. Common in the Gulf hammock region. Range not well understood. Probably chiefly confined to Southwest Georgia and northern and central Florida. URTICACEAE. Nettle Family. Boehmeria cylindrica (L.) Willd. In damp muddy or calcareous soils, sometimes on peat, as on Hog Island and along Helena Run. Also in Escambia and Leon Counties. Not common in Florida. Widely distributed in the Eastern United States. CUPULIFERAE. Oak Family. Quercus nigra L. Water Oak. Common in clayey or calcareous swamps, low hammocks, and other damp rich places of various kinds, from about latitude 280 northward. Occasionally on several feet of peat, as in the St. Johns River swamp near Palatka. A form with narrower leaves, perhaps a distinct species, is common in low hammocks and calcareous swamps, especially in the Gulf hammock region. Widely distributed in the Eastern United States south of latitude 390 nd within a few hundred feet of sea-level, much like Liquidambar. BETIJLACEAE. Birch Family. Alnus rugosa (DuRoi) Koch. Alder. In branch and creek swamps, usually in comparatively rich (or at least not very sour) soil, from Alachua County northward. Seen on peat only in the 337