388 MAXGROVE AND SALTMARSH VEGETATION NEAR SYDNEY, N.S.W., 



British and Eastern Anierit-an marshes only in so far as some species of 

 Salicornia is the first coloniser and is followed closely by Suaeda. 



The British (Carey and Oliver, Huwartli, Newman and Wahvortli, Yapp, 

 etc.), Danish (Warming), Freneli (Hill, Oliver) and American marshes (Ganong, 

 Harshberger, .Tolmson and York) are characterised by the extensive develop- 

 ment of gi'asses which enter into competition with other halophytes at an early 

 stage. In certain Welsh marshes, e.g. on the Dovey Flats, the grass Glyceria 

 maritima ot't«n replaces Salicornia as the pioneer coloniser. Glyceria maritima 

 together with the grasses Feshica rubra. Leptiirus filiformis, and Agrosiis alba. 

 and eei'tain shrubby perennial halophytes. forms a compact turf which becomes 

 of economic value for grazing (Yapp, etc., 1917, p. 72). On the American 

 marshes the tall grass Spartina glabra (stricta) occupies the outermost fringe 

 of the mud (Ganong, 1903, Johnson and York, 1915). In the marsiies near 

 Sydney, gi'a.sses do not play so important a part. They do not appear until 

 a late stage in development and tiien are often represented by only one species — 

 Sporobolus virginiciis. Other grasses do occur with Sporobolus, however, the 

 most important being Zoysia pungens and Cgnodov daetyhin. Hamilton re- 

 cords the occurrence of species of Leptunis and Culamagrostis (1919, p. 485) 

 but does not make it clear as to whether these are to be regarded as true salt- 

 marsh grasses. 



The grass Festuea rubra appears to be a consistent feature of the British 

 saltmarshes (Howarth, 1920; Newman and Walworth, 1919). From a com- 

 parative table given by Howarth to show zonation of vegetation on various 

 British marshes, it is seen that while Festuea rubra or one of its sub-varieties is 

 always present, its position in relation to the plant associations of the mai'sh 

 varies for different localities. It is either entirely inside the limits of .luncetum, 

 forming an association of its own, e.g. the Festucetum of the Dovey Flats 

 (Yajip, etc., 1917, pp. 09-70) or it occui's as a co-dominant with Jitneiis at 

 Holme-next-the-sea (Howarth. 1920, p. 221) or it plays an unimportant role 

 on the outermost fringe of Juneetum (Tansley, 1911). The work of Newman 

 and Walw(u-th on the South Lincolnshire coast, indicates the presence of Featnca 

 rubra amongst the marsh halophytes and even forming a si)ecial Festuea-Sali- 

 cornia Zone (1919, p. 208). " 



Festiica rubra does not actually occur on the Sydney saltmarshes, but is 

 generally found on the liigher slopes immediately outside the limits of .Jiuice- 

 tum. It occurs with non-halophytes sucli as species of Plantago. Trifolium, Brif^a, 

 and others in a region higher than Warming's "higher littoral meadow'" (1909, 

 p. 231). AYith increasing age and witli elevation of surface level, it is possible 

 that Fentuca and other grasses may yet |>lay an important role on the Sydney 

 saltmarshes. 



The depressions known as pans, whicli are such a c(mstant feature ol' tlie 

 British mai'slics (Carey and Oliver, 1918; Yapp, etc., 1917) are not found 

 near Sydney. This may doubtless be accounted for in the comparative yinith 

 of the fidal flats near Sydney. There arc shallow bare depressions however, 

 in which water i-emaius for some time after the tides liave receded. These more 

 closely resemble the salt marsh pools described by Tlai-sliberger (1910) for the 

 New Jersey coast. 



StnrMART. 



1. Pliysiograpliic features of the co.ast in the neighbourhood of Sydney are 

 biiefly dealt witli in relation to the formation of slicltered tidal flats. 



2. The two plant formations of tiiese tidal flats are discussed and an account 

 of their developmental phases given. 



