Re: Jurassic forest in DC

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM>]

 From: wolewiler@juno.com (William E. Olewiler)
 >      The United States Botanic Garden at the foot of Capitol Hill,
 > Washington, DC features a "Jurassic Forest" in one wing. As their
 > display states, no grasses, no flowering plants. You walk a pathway
 > (with reproduced dinosaur tracks) past and under ferns, cyclads,
 > junipers, mosses, sagos, and yews.

I once saw a suggestion that, in addition to ferns, quillworts
(Isoetes and relatives) made up a large part of the ground cover
before sedges and grasses.

At first I was skeptical, as quillworts rely upon water for pollination.
However, it apparently doesn't take much, as I recently discovered that
they live in some unlikely places still (like alpine meadows).

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.