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                              FLORA OF LINCOLN COUNTY, WISCONSIN
                                   By Frank C. Seymour
                                     Dighton, Mass.
     Called the "Gateway to the North" because it includes
the southern part of the region of innumerable lakes,
large and small, Lincoln County affords a wide variety of
habitat and therefore a wide variety of vegetation. As
only about half of the County was covered by the Wisconsin
Ice Sheet, there is a marked difference between the vege-
tation of the northern and southern halves, the southern
having been covered only by the earlier ice sheet. The
northern part is forested largely by evergreens; the south-
ern part mostly by deciduous trees.
     Added to the influence of the glaciers or connected
with it are the contrasts between rolling hills and level
plains; very sandy soil and heavy loam; many bogs and few
bogs; many lakes and few lakes. All of these contribute
to the variety of the flora.
     Coming to live in Tomahawk in September 1949, the
writer set out to collect specimens to illustrate the flora
of this relatively unexplored country, botanically speak-
ing. Gradually the vague idea of writing and publishing
a local flora crystallized. Soon it was discovered that a
number of other people in the County were much interested
and some of them well versed in the wild flowers of the
region. By February 1950, the Wild Flower Club of Lincoln
County was organized with 23 charter members, and under-
took the project of exploring, collecting and accumulating
material for a flora of the County.
     Previous botanical work, so
far as is known, was begun by
L. S. Cheney in 1893. On a trip
down the Wisconsin River, he
stopped frequently and collected
specimens on the way.  From July
19 to August 3, a period of 16
days, he was in Lincoln County.
In so short a time, he picked up
a noteworthy number of species,
some of which have not been
found in the County since. The
second collector to explore the
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Wisconsin Academy Review