30 Rhodora [FEBRUARY 
Sabatia gracilis, found by the writer only on a few ponds in the 
eastern part of Barnstable. 
Lycopus rubellus, locally common. 
Utricularia cornuta, rather frequent on sandy shores. It also 
appears on Sphagnum and occasionally on the edge of brackish 
marshes. 
Certain members of this group of beach-plants, such as both species 
of Sabatia, Drosera filiformis, Hemicarpha and Crotalaria prefer a 
situation rather well up the beach, where the sand is not too wet, 
while others, such as Rynchospora macrostachya, Gratiola, Hypericum 
virginicum, Lysimachia terrestris and Lycopodium choose lower and 
damper locations, and usually appear only after a perceptible amount 
of fine material has accumulated. Most of the plants, however, 
are satisfied with almost any situation where the soil is essentially 
sandy and not too dry. They must of necessity be able to adapt 
themselves to the migrating shoreline. 
The nature of the vegetation in the shallow water along the shore 
depends on the character of the pond and the amount of filling and 
of deposition of mud that has taken place. On a bottom of pure sand 
the first thing to make its appearance is Nymphoides lacunosum 
which usually grows in a rather narrow zone at some distance from 
the shore. Nearer the water’s edge flourishes Juncus militaris, the 
most common and characteristic rush of the sandy ponds, and 
growing with it and nearly as universal is Lobelia Dortmanna. Scirpus 
americanus is always present, either scatteringly or in wide patches. 
These four plants prefer a sandy bottom and until sediment begins 
to accumulate comprise practically all the marginal vegetation. 
The deposition of decaying plant remains and the formation of peat 
accompany the filling of these ponds and the fine material is in this 
instance different from the more or less alluvial mud of the drained 
ponds and supports quite another group of plants. The most char- 
acteristic things associated with these later stages in the pond’s 
history and which flourish only in the calm and shallow waters of 
the protected coves, or on their peaty shores and islands, are the 
following: — 
Sparganium lucidum, local, and found by the writer only in Barn- 
stable. 
Sagittaria Engelmanniana, very common everywhere and showing 
great variety in the shape of its leaves. 
