﻿Two new Species, 



By A. A. Eaton. 



On August 26, 1896, while collecting the peculiar large form 

 of Spart'uia patois growing on the border of the marsh at Sea- 

 brook, X. H., I noticed a taller, more slender plant growing in a 

 clump of bushes. An examination showed it had many peculi- 

 arities, and an extended search on the 27th revealed numerous 

 patches, and also showed beyond a doubt that it was a heretofore 

 overlooked species, witli external appearance of .V. patens, w 

 which it has doubtless been confounded. After once noticing n, 

 however, one can distinguish it at sight. 



Though growing in rough ground just at the edge of the marsn 

 where it is never mown, it bears an abundance of leaves and seeiu> 



ith 



P 



patt 



untouched. The reason for this may be that it does not secre e 

 so much salt on the upper surface of the leaves, owing to its gto^ 



tng where there is less in the soil. I will mention in passing tM 

 salt on various grasses growing in salt marshes is popularly sup- 

 posed to be the residue from evaporated sea water. This is no 

 so. That it is a true excretion of the plants is shown by the & 

 that in dry seasons on a low run of tide it is most abundant, an 

 sea water will remove it as well as rain. Moreover, I have see 

 Sporoholus airoides and Distkhlis spicata growing in alkaline soi 

 in San Joaquin valley, California, where they had been seven* 

 months without rain, whose leaves were more copiously supp ]It 

 with salt crystals than I have seen Spartina strkta even, in 

 eastern marshes. 



CAESPITOSA. " Hiohwater Grass. 



M 



"**• " • scat- 



Plants caespitose, forming tussocks 3 dm. across, which are 



tered 6-9 dm. or more apart. Rootstocks 2.5 cm. or less lojH 

 closely covered with short, broad, hard, shining mucronate $&* ' 

 imbricated in two lateral rows, and sending up several brands 

 the end : culms very many, clustered 4-15 together at tip o* r 

 stock, 6-12 dm. high, very smooth and glabrous, purplish t* 



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