19- EAST FLORIDA FLATWOODS. 339 



above the sea. Some of the hollows among the dunes are small, 

 rounded and concave, like the basins in the lime-sink region, while 

 others are larger, elongated, and flat-bottomed. The surface of the 

 marshes corresponds pretty closely with mean high-tide level. 



Most of the surface water in the coast strip is salt, but just 

 behind the cuspate foreland at South Beach, on Anastasia Island, 

 if not in similar places elsewhere, there are some small shallow 

 pools of fresh water. There are practically no springs or streams, 

 but fresh water can be obtained a few feet below the surface in 

 many places, and deep wells yield a strong flow of rather hard and 

 sulphurous, but wholesome water. 



Vegetation Types — On the outer beaches, below high-water 

 mark, there is usually no vegetation at all. Between that point and 

 the dunes, a short distance farther back, the vegetation is very 

 sparse, and consists mostly of running vines and a few tufted plants. 

 The outer or active dunes are characterized by some of the same 

 species as on the upper beach, together with sea-oats and a few other 

 grasses, and a few other plants, all or nearly all belonging to fami- 

 lies well represented in the arid southwestern states and northern 

 Mexico; and the resemblance of this vegetation to that of a desert 

 is rather striking. The next older dunes, which have been station- 

 ary a comparatively short time, have a vegetation composed mostly 

 of evergreen shrubs; and the oldest are well covered with trees, 

 forming hammocks. On the coquina areas cedar is the most promi- 

 nent tree, and there are a few other species which are commonly 

 supposed to be lime-loving. 



The vegetation of the moist dune hollows is meadow-like, and 

 rather dense. It consists mostly of herbs which seem to like lime (if 

 not also phosphorus, sulphur, or something else) as well as moisture^ 

 and includes some of the same species already noted as characteris- 

 tic of marly flatwoods in the Gulf hammock region. The salt marsh 

 vegetation comprises a few very abundant species, mostly tall stiff 

 grasses and rushes. On Amelia Island there are flatwoods some- 

 thing like those of the mainland, but without long-leaf pine.* Fire 

 seems to be a negligible factor throughout the coast strip. 



Plants — The flora of different islands and beaches differs con- 

 siderably, for no apparent reason. (The same state of affair^ has 

 been observed also in the corresponding parts of Georgia.) The 



*See 3d Ann. Rep., pi. ii.i, or 5th, pi. lo.i. Most if not all of the trees 

 in that picture (which was taken by Dr. Sellards) are probably Piniis serotina. 



