F. W. Oliver 



27 



it penetrated in 1913 and has now established itself in sufficient strength 

 to continue the invasion in force 1 . To the East, whilst Portsmouth, 



5 u„ ~ A 



.Hea<i 



Text-fig. 1. Sketch map of Christchureh Harbour (Hants.) showing the distribution of 

 Spartina Toivnsendii, Nov. 1919. The clumps are marked by crosses, x x. The 

 first plant to settle was the one in The Run (1913); it is now 6 ft. across and is seen 

 in the foreground of PL II, fig. 1. Land surfaces not covered by ordinary high tides 

 are dotted. Charted by the Rev. C. O. S. Hatton. 



1 The following notes, from the Rev. C. 0. S. Hatton, of Hinton Vicarage, Christchureh. 

 who has kept in touch with this invasion from the first, are of unusual interest. I am much 

 indebted to his courtesy in letting me publish them here. 



"The first plant I noticed (and I feel pretty sure it was the first in the harbour) was 

 in a little bit of backwater off the channel which connects the harbour and the sea. It 

 was not at all a good position for it, being constantly covered with dead seaweed, etc. 

 There were only a few blades when I first saw it in 1913, and it did not flower till 1917 

 when it produced two spikes. Having by that time grown high enough not to be constantly 

 covered with rubbish it grew more quickly, and in 1918 there were about two dozen 

 flower spikes and this year [1919] it flowered well and is now a circular clump about 

 2 yards across (cf. Fig. 1, PL II). I noticed one or two other clumps in the harbour 

 in 1918 and this year [1919] I counted five others, growing well, also a good deal growing 

 amongst other vegetation on the E. side of the harbour. The part where the new patches 

 have sprung up is an ideal situation and I have no doubt that in a few years it will cover 

 many acres of the present harbour. I should say that Christchureh Harbour is even more 

 suitable for the Spartina than Poole and I shall be surprised if it does not spread even 

 faster there." 



