"low marsh" vegetation. 439 



" turnouts" of the canals, while Saururus is most at home in shady 

 places, where it grows in shallow water or very wet soil, sometimes in 

 pure associations of considerable size. Less important are Scirpus 

 cyperinus eriophorum, S. divaricatus, Erianthus saccharoides, Eleo- 

 charis mutata, etc. 



Topographical, rather than purely ecological considerations make 

 it expedient to distinguish this from the preceding association, 

 although it should be noted that the diversity of forms is much less 

 than in the river marshes and the influence of the adjacent palustrine 

 forest is greater. 



LOW MARSH FORMATION. 



The term "Low marsh" maybe employed as an antithesis to that of 

 ' ' Reed marsh " in order to designate the limited areas of marshy ground 

 or swales which occur here and there in the Forested Wain, especially 

 at waysides, and which are covered chiefly with a low rather than a tall 

 reedy growth. The wet places in the pine barrens, already described 

 under the heading of "Pine Barrens," 1 could properly be referred to 

 this formation, witli which they are ecologically homologous; but, as in 

 other cases, it has seemed best to describe such extremely limited 

 associations in connection wilh t he extensive formations to whicli they 

 belong topographically. For the same reason the "dune marshes" 

 have been treated in connect ion with the sand strand, while from the 

 strictly ecological point of view they belong to the "low marshes." 



Rtjnrtwspora-Eleocliarix Association. — The vegetation of the low 

 marshes comprises a great variety of species, predominant among 

 them being numerous sedges. Of these the most abundant are as 

 follows : 



Rynchospora cymosa. Fimbristylis laxa. 



Ryneltospora inexpansa. Lipocarpha macidata. 



Rynchospora gJomerata. Fuirena squarrosa. 



Ryneltospora comiculata. Cyperus flavescens. 



FAeocharis ovata. Cyperus flavicomus. 



Eleocharis toriilis. Cyperus pseudovegetus. 



Carex verrucosa (characteristic). Cyperus haspan. 

 Fimbristylis au t umnalis. 



Likewise abundant are various rushes, notably: 



Juncus acuminatus. Juncus canadensis. 



Juncus acuminatus debilis. Juncus setaceus. 



Juncus marginatum . Juncus repens. 



Species of Xyris (X. carol-in tana, JV. ambigua, etc.) are conspic- 

 uous with their bright yellow flowers. 



Grasses, mostly wilh weak, decumbent culms, are often an impor- 

 tant element. Examples aiv: 



Panicularia pallida. Panicum verrucosum. 



Panicum giblmm. Panicum viscidum. 



'Above, p. 405. 

 23592— No. 0— Ul \i 



