Lathyrus japonicus Willd., Beach 



Pea 



Fig. 53. Cirumpolar species. The 



varieties extend from Hudson Bay 



to New Jersey. White variety rare. 



Lupinus perennis L., Wild Lupine 

 Fig. 55. Southern Maine to Flor- 

 ida. 



Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R. Br., 

 Wild Indigo 

 Fig. 57. Maine to Florida. Plant 

 turns black when pressed for her- 

 barium. Used at one time for a 

 blue dye. 



Rumex acetosella L., Sheep Sorrel 

 Fig. 60. Ubiquitous weed of worn- 

 out soils. Quebec to Virginia. 



Hypochoeris radlcata L., Cat's Ear 

 Fig. 62. Newfoundland to North 

 Carolina. 



Hieracium venosum L., Hawk- 

 weed, Rattlesnake Weed 

 Fig. 63. Southern Maine to north 

 Virginia, along the coast. Other 

 hawkweeds may be present. 



Artemisia stelleriatia Bess., Silver 

 King, Dusty Miller 

 Fig. 69. Gulf of St. Lawrence to 

 Virginia. 



Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L., 

 Ox-Eye Daisy 

 Fig. 81. Labrador to Florida. Sev- 

 eral varieties. 



Polygala polygama Walt. var. obtusa 

 Chodat., Milkwort 

 Fig. 85. Nova Scotia to Florida 

 and Texas. 



Linaria canadensis (L.) Dumont., 

 Old Field Toadflax 

 Fig. 87. With the variety from 

 Nova Scotia to Florida and Texas. 



Vegetation of Tidal Marshes 



The dominant plant species of the tidal 

 marshes are listed below. Rare plants may have 

 been missed or intentionally omitted. Zone 

 numbers in the diagram (Fig. 109) will be used 

 to indicate the areas in which each plant com- 

 monly grows. The number of species increases 

 from Zone I to VL 



Zone I. Estuary. The bottom may be sandy, sand and mud, or cobbles. 



Mostly covered with water, but may be fringed by a flat 



exposed at low tide. 

 Zone H. Lower Border. EdRe of the marsh, also along creeks and ditches: 



normal tides flood the area twice a day; few species present. 



Spartina altfrniftora zone. 

 Zone III. Lower Slope. Are subjected to the higher tides. At some seasons 



there may be intervals of no tidal flooding. Spartina patens 



zone. 

 Zone IV. Pool, Filled with water; salinity varies with tidal influx or 



long periods without flooding; may reach salinity of 56 %, or 



more in summer. 

 Zone V. Upper Slope. Areas subjected to exceptionally high tides and 



storm waters, juncm Rfrardi zone. 

 Zone VI. Transition. (Upper Border). Area subjected to storm tides 



only; upland vegetation tailing over and mixed with typical 



tidal marsh plants. 



Figure 109. — Distributional zones where the dominate 

 plants of the tidal marshes grow. 



1. Submerged flowering plants: 



Zostera marina L., Eel Grass 



Fig. 26. Zone I. Both shores of the 

 Atlantic. Greenland to North Carolina. 

 Turtle grass takes over from North 

 Carolina southward. Always sub- 

 merged, cannot survive if exposed to 

 desiccation by the lowering tidal waters. 



Euppia maritima L., Widgeon Grass 

 Fig. 28. Zones L IV. Nearly cosmopol- 

 itan species. The typical plant and its 

 varieties from Newfoundland to Flor- 

 ida, West Indies, and Mexico. Quiet 

 estuaries and brackish ponds. Impor- 

 tant as food for ducks and other wild 

 fowl. 



Potamogeton pectinatus L., Sago 

 Pond Weed 

 Fig. 27. Zone IV. Newfoundland to 

 Florida and Texas. Brackish ponds. 

 Important wild fowl food. 



2. Dominant grasses and rushes: 



Spartina alterniflora Loisel., Salt 

 Marsh Cord Grass 

 Fig. 93. Zone II dominant. Nova Sco- 

 tia to Florida and Texas. Important 

 producer of the tidal marshes. Dwarf 

 form, rarely blooms in Zone III. 



Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl., Salt 

 Marsh Hay 

 Fig. 94. Newfoundland to Virginia. 

 Zone III dominant, at end of growing 

 season shows "cowlick" formation. 



51 



