THE STRUCTURE AND HISTORY ОЕ PLAV. 233 
The Structure and History of Plav: the Floating Fen of the Delta of the 
Danube. By Marterra Parus. (Communicated by Prof. A. C. 
SEWARD, F.R.S., F.L.S.) 
(PrATES 11-25, and 1 Text-figure.) 
[Read 16th December, 1915.] 
CONTENTS. 
Panr I. Page 
I. General Introduction ...........,......,................... 233 
П. The Danube and the Balta in Rumania ........................ 237 
Ш. Introduction to Plav ............ еее вов авео ИИИ 241 
ГУ. General Description of Phragmites communis, Trin., В. flavescens, 
Gren. & бойт. .......................................... 246 
Part II. The Growth-Cycle of the Reed. 
I. The Plant and Vegetation Units ............................ 251 
П. The Growth Stages ..... TUNE 256 
ПІ. Open Reed-swamp ............. TEM 256 
IV. Closed Reed-swamp ....,,..,...,,....,.........,,.....,.... 258 
У. Рау... cece cece tence eee tte eee баас. 260 
УІ. The Minor Individual ...,................,,.,.............. 263 
УП. The Major Individual ...................................... 268 
VIII. The Reed and its Competitor Typha .............. ........... 269 
IX. The Succession on Plav and East Anglian l'en ....,............. 270 
X. Summary... 271 
APPENDIX. 
APPENDIX А. (батїпїз............................................ 274 
» В. The Willow-Forest of the Danube in Rumania...,...... 276 
" C. The Tussock-Form of the Reed in the Norfolk Broads.... 977 
» D. Lists of Balta and Fen Plants ........................ 277 
» E. Fravinus, Sp. N. .................................... 283 
Panr I. 
General Introduction. 
Тнк Plav* of Rumania, the subject of the present paper, is a floating 
fen formed almost entirely of living reed, Phragmites communis, Trin., 
* “Play” is the name given by the fishermen of the delta to the floating fen of that 
region. It is a Russian word and signities the floating thing or floating stuff. 
The languages most in use in the delta are Rumanian, Little Russian, and Greek. 
Amongst the Rumanian subjects in the delta (besides the Rumanians themselves) are 
Little Russians, Lipovans or Skoptsi (see article “ Skoptsi,” Encycl. Brit.), Greeks, Tartars, 
Gypsies, Jews, ete. It is not at all unusual for fishermen and small tradesmen to speak 
Rumanian, Russian, and Greek. 
The pronunciation, where necessary, of all foreign words will be put in brackets in 
the text. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XLIII. R 
