THl", SI •■.A -CO. AST 



239 



from inUTveninjjf lowlands, constitulc one ol" 

 the niosl curious facts of plant distribution. 

 Discontinuous distribution, as shown by Dr. 

 .\. R. W'aliaci', is an indication of thr antiijuity 

 olllie plant types so dispersed. Hence it may 

 be considered that the occurrence of such plants 

 as .Scurvy (irass, Thrift, Sea Plantain, Sea 

 Campion, &c. , inland on lofty mountains is 

 connected with the exi .tence in earlier times 

 of .sea marijins, of which there are indications 

 (not where these plants occur) elsewhere at a 

 distance iVom the sea. 



There are other reasons for the occurrence 

 of such types inland .iway from the se.i. It 

 is quite possible that the seeds of such plants 

 may be conveyed thither by animal aijency, 

 especially birds. Wild fowl, ducks, jjeese, 

 swans, plovers, and many other birds iVeiiuent 

 the coast on migration, .ind also inlatid lochs 

 and upland moors and bogs. Some maritime 

 birds, as the Dotterel, Redshank, Blackheaded 

 (iuU, and others, leave the sea-coasl during 

 the breeding season to seek such habitats as 

 the inland types of maritime plants frequent. 



Wh.-itever be the cause of the isolation of 

 these maritime plants upon hills inland, their 

 occurrence in such spots is of the greatest 

 interest, and any observ.itions that may be 

 made upon these points will assuredly be pro- 

 lific in results. 



Inland Salt-marshes. — In the case of the mon- 

 tane types of maritime plants described in the 

 last section, there wiire no conditions inland 

 resembling those on the sea-coast to account 

 for the occurrence of Thrift, &c., in alpine 

 situations. In the case of certain inland salt- 

 marshes, however, the conditions are similar 

 to those on the sea-coast; that is to say, they 

 are suited to halophytes, plants that require 

 salt or brackish water. In the neighbourhood 

 of Droitwich, famous for its brine springs, 

 such plants are to be tbund, also in the Severn 

 valley from the Salwarpe valley to Droitwich, 

 and in the Tewkesbury and Evesham district. 



At Longdon and Welland marshes Oinanthe 

 pimpiiwlluides, (K. lachcnalii^ (K. silaifolia (all 

 maritime species of Dropworl), Ciolden Dock, 

 Sea Club Rush, and Alexanders occur. If 

 the land were submerged 100 ft., the tide 

 which comes far up the .Severn would reach 

 this point. Wo.id was found on cliffs also in 

 the Severn valley. Parsley, Fennel, Soapwort, 

 and Canim sef^elitm also grow at Dodder- 

 hill in the same region. Dittander, a salt- 

 marsh plant, occurs at Salwarpe, and Setiecio 

 si/ualiJiis at Droitwich. 



Between Droitwich and Hawford Lock 

 grow Celery, Sea Milkwort, -Sea Spurrey, Sea 

 Orache, Sea .Arrow Grass, Sea Club Rush, 

 Juncus compressus. and Brookweed. In the 



valley of the Trent, near Stratford, 250 ft. 

 above the se.i, also grow .Sea Spurrey, Celery, 

 Sea .\ster. Sea Milkwort, Sea .Arrow (irass. 

 Sea Club Rush. Sea Stork's Bill is also lound 

 in v.-irious parts of Worcestershire. Wher- 

 ever these plants occur there .ire salt springs, 

 lu'iice their occurrence inland. They may have 

 been intnuhited by bird> that frequent mari- 

 time s.ilt niar>h<s. 



The Sandy Coasts, Muddy Estuaries, Rocky 

 Coasts. The lirsi zone is made up of sandy 

 coa>ts, muddv estuaries, rocky coasts, and 

 sea clitTs. Of the plants here descrilK'd in 

 detail the bulk grow on sandy coasts, as Si'a 

 Kale, Sea Rocket (both also growing on 

 shingle), Sea Campion (also on shingle and 

 dunes). Sea Purslane (also on shinghl. Tama- 

 risk (also on dunes), Sea Holly, .Ab>inth, Sim 

 Lavender (also in salt marshes). Centaury, Sea- 

 side Bindweed (also on dunes), Se.i Buckthorn 

 (also on dunes). Grass Wrack (in estuaries in 

 Witter), Sand Sedge (also on dunes). Crested 

 Dog's T.iil Gr.ass, Seaside Manna Grass, 

 Squirrel Tail Grass. 



Scurvy Grass grows on muddy coasts, Woad 

 on cliffs, and Samphire .and Thrift on rocks, 

 the latter also in salt marshes and on san<l. 

 .Amongst other plants that .'ire found upon the 

 sandy coasts are Sea Radish, Bloody Cr.me's 

 Bill, Scotch Rose, often farther inland. Cotton 

 Weed, Small A'ellow Gentian, Buckshorn Plan- 

 tain (also often far inland), Rupture- Wort, 

 Sea Spurge, .Asparagus, Baltic Rush, Bulbous 

 .Meadow Grass. On muddy coasts Beet is to 

 be found. On sea clilTs and rocky co.ists the 

 following occur, amongst many others: Queen 

 Stock, Wild Cabb.ige, Isle of' .Man Cabbag.-, 

 Tree .Mallow, Lovage, Blue Gromwell, the 

 Latter also on shingle. 



It is thus evident th;it the flora of the first 

 maritime zone is of an extremely diverse and 

 interesting character, and that it is highly 

 adapted to travel inland where conditions are 

 suitable, for many are common to the other 

 zones. 



The Shingle Beach.— The extent of the 

 shingle beaches around the British coasts is 

 strictly limited, therefore the extent of the 

 flora which is established upon them is not 

 great. Furthermore, it is an extremely mo- 

 bile formation, and the .ige of the shingle 

 beach is distinctly recent in the majority of 

 cases. .Again, the flora is made up Largely 

 of the few plants with long far-reaching roots 

 that can establish themselves .and ad.ipl their 

 growth to the movement of the shingle, which 

 is liable to frequent additions to or removal of 

 the component pebbles. 



.A striking feature of the shingle beach is 

 the manner in which laterals are formed at 



