125 



iiindo at its lowor strotches. iiradnally civepinii upward, until in a parti- 

 cularly tavoralilo season tln^ whole dune is fairly well covered with j)lants. 

 The biudins tojictlier ol" the soil by the grasses, even for a short time, is 

 sufticieut to i)ernr.t the establishment of other forms, so that in places the 

 flora OL the upper beach and active dune may be quite varied. On the upper 

 beach the most counnou of the plants ai'e Artemisia caudata and A. Cana- 

 (/c».s'/.s*. while the attractive CardiiK.'^ J'itclicri is scarcely less common. In 

 these plants the strong and lonj; tai)-root and dissected leaves serve as an 

 almosr perfect protection against excessive evaporation and the mechanical 



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At the close of a favorable season the whole dune may be fairly well covered 



with plants. 



action of the sand in the case of high winds. In the case of the Artemisias 

 it was possible to observe in a considerable area, the perfection of the de- 

 fense the finely dissected leaves afford a,gainst the sand blasts of a storm 

 which lasted for nearly a week. Almost every other species in the area, 

 which lay open to the direct action of the wind-driven sand was completely 

 battered to pieces, while only about 15 per cent, of the Artemisias showed 

 anj' sign of having been subject to a long continued action of a destructive 

 force. 



Upon the upper beach, also, is to be found in f.-ivored situations the 

 beach pea, Latliyrus iiiaritim}is, although in no instance was it at all a 

 dominant form. I'pon the active dune is often to be found the frost grape, 



