Nichols: The vegetation of Connecticut 



255 



plain succession. The pond-lilies also are usually absent. Com- 

 monly the first forms to appear arc submersed species, such as the 

 pondweeds {Potamogeton sp.), VaUisveria spiralis and Elodea 

 canadensis, which may grow in water four or even more feet in 

 depth. In shallow water various aquatics with aerial foliage are 

 ordinarily conspicuous. Of these, the following species are perhaps 

 the most noteworthy:* 



Fig. 6. Flood plain island in the Connecticut River, at Haddam. The plant 

 in the foreground is the wild rice {Zizania paluslris). 



Equisetum fiuviatile 

 Typha latifolia 

 Sagittaria latifolia 

 Zizania palustris 

 Scirpus americaniis 



Scirpiis validiis 

 Peltandra virginica 

 Or on Hum aquaticiim 

 Pontederia cordata 

 Polygonum Miihlenhergii 



While the number of species present at this early stage of 

 flood plain development is relatively small, any lack of variety is 

 more than counterbalanced by the luxuriance wi th which these 



* From this and the two following lists have purposely been omitted a number 

 of species which, while peculiar to th** Connecticut River flood plains, seem too rare 

 or too local to be of importance in the present connection. The majority of such 

 species, so far as known, have already been mentioned elsewhere (Torreya 13: 106. 

 1913)- 



