94 Rhodora [May 



beach plum, and those in the low spots of bayberry. Scattered among 

 the Ammophila, and almost uniformly distributed were Sclidago 

 sempermrens and Artemisia caudata. 



Nowhere has the writer seen poison ivy so common, nor so peculiar 

 in habit. There being nothing on which to climb, it simply sprawls 

 over the sand. It is vigorous, however, taking complete possession 

 of some areas and producing an enormous crop of fruit. Indeed while 

 walking over most parts of the island, one's footsteps are accompanied 

 by a constant rattle of dislodged poison ivy fruits. 



In the fresh water marshes, which in origin are detached extremities 

 of arms of the salt marsh or depressions between old beaches, there 

 is an interesting zonation of plants. The outer or shrubby zone is 

 composed largely of bayberry and Rbea hutnilis threaded with Rubus 

 procumbent and toward the inner side with Spiraea tomentosa, Aster 

 ?iovi-be!gii and Agrostis perennans. The next zone, rather an indefi- 

 nite one is that of Heir pus eyperinus and cat-tails. The inner basin of 

 the marshes usually is a mass of Juncus eanademis, and Aspidium 

 thelypteris with scattered Scirpus eyperinus. In one marsh this area 

 is partly taken up by a bed of sphagnum and Vaeeiniiun macrocarpon. 



In the salt marsh, there is a strand zone where grow Spergularia 

 leiosperina (found to some extent elsewhere), Salicornia mucronata, 

 S. europaea and Suaeda linearis. The next zone is dominated by 

 Spartina patens, among which are scattered Limonium and Salicornia 

 ambigua. The next zone is occupied by Spartina glabra var. pilosa, 

 beyond which no emersed vegetation appears, but .submerged eel-grass 

 is abundant. 



The shrubs on Muskeget, particularly the beach plum, are covered 

 with lichens, among which are Lecanora raria (Ehrh.) Ach., Parmelia 

 sulcata Tayl., Ramalina ealiearis (L.) Nyl., and Usnea florida (L.) 

 Hoffm. Two lichens ' grow commonly on the sand, namely, Cladonia 

 syhatiea (L.) Rabenh. forma laxiusenla Del. and Cladonia boryi Tuck, 

 forma reticulata (Russ.) Merl. 



The number of species of vascular plants collected on Muskeget 

 Island was 54 of which !) seem clearly to have been recently introduced 

 by man. A small patch of turnips was cultivated during the summer 

 of 1915 and at the time of my visit there remained on this area some 

 of the turnip plants, and a few pioneers of the irrepressible Panicum 



1 All of these lichens were kindly identified by Mr. G. K. Merrill. 



