380 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Aug. 



Salicornia mucronata, S. herbacea, Aster subulatus, Tissa marina,. 

 Suasda linearis and Chenopodium rubrum. At Navesink Beach 

 Salsola kali has invaded this strip of Spartina patens, and at Nor- 

 mandie Atriplex hastata and Suceda linearis ( = Dondia americana) form 

 almost pure associations, while at this place, between the low dunes 

 and the last mentioned marsh strip, are found associations of Lathyrus 

 maritimus, mixed with Solidago sempervirens and Oenothera biennis. 



The third inner strip of salt marsh at Water Witch Park is com- 

 posed of an association of Scirpus pungens, Gerardia maritima, Pluchea 

 camphorata and Cyperus erythrorhizos, while the fourth strip of vege- 

 tation is characterized by tall-growing herbs and shrubs, viz., Scirpus 

 pungens, Panicum virgatum, Polygonum sagittatum, Hibiscus moscheu- 

 tos, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Solidago sempervirens and Baccharis 

 halimifolia, some which suggest proximity of fresh water conditions. 



The salt marsh along the upper portion of Wreck Pond shows a 

 modification of the outer fringing strip of Spartina stricta maritima. 

 Along the north shore of the Pond edaphic conditions control the 

 distribution of plants, for the fringing growth of Spartina stricta 

 maritima (sp. gr. 1.014) is not continuous, but is more or less inter- 

 rupted by tongues of Spartina patens, while in two places Scirpus 

 pungens in two isolated associations is the character plant which 

 touches the channel currents. Back of the tall salt grass is found an 

 almost continuous strip of Spartina patens, in some places mixed with 

 Scirpus pungens and Panicum virgatum. From the distribution of the 

 plants and the direction of the shore lines, it would seem that the 

 ocean currents are deflected against the north shore, where the salt 

 marsh conditions are more typically found, while the fresh water of 

 the river flows seaward along the south shore. This, however, is not 

 the determining factor in the replacement of Spartina stricta maritima 

 along the south shore by Spartina patens, for the north shore has a 

 muddy bottom and the south shore a gravelly one. 



Plum Island Salt Marsh (Fig. 1). 



Plum Island is found lying between the southern end of Sandy 

 Hook and the Highlands of Navesink. 



It is irregular in shape and consists of low sandhills surrounded 

 by salt marsh, as indicated in Fig. 1, which also indicates the areas 

 of marsh covered by this survey (I, II, HI). Considering the com- 

 position of the salt marsh at the locality marked I on the sketch map 

 of Plum Island, we find the outer strip (sp. gr. 1.016) (Fig. 2) composed 

 of a pure growth of Spartina stricta maritima (X), which is succeeded by 



