﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  105 
  

  

  The 
  boundary 
  between 
  these 
  two 
  subdivisions 
  lies 
  approxhnately 
  

   at 
  the 
  average 
  level 
  of 
  neap 
  high 
  tides, 
  or 
  a 
  little 
  below, 
  but 
  it 
  

   varies 
  locally 
  and, 
  in 
  favorable 
  situations, 
  the 
  vegetation 
  of 
  the 
  

   lower 
  littoral 
  may 
  extend 
  well 
  up 
  toward 
  mean 
  high 
  tide^ 
  mark. 
  

  

  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  littoral. 
  — 
  ^The 
  characteristic 
  plants 
  

   of 
  the 
  lower 
  littoral 
  along 
  eroding 
  shores 
  are 
  the 
  rockweeds, 
  Asco- 
  

   phylhim 
  and 
  Fuciis 
  (Figs. 
  3 
  and 
  4). 
  These 
  conspicuous 
  olive- 
  

   brown 
  seaw^eeds 
  grow 
  in 
  massive 
  profusion 
  and 
  commonly 
  plaster 
  

  

  Fig. 
  3. 
  Granitic 
  eroding 
  shore 
  at 
  low 
  tide, 
  showing 
  dense 
  growth 
  of 
  Ascophyllum 
  

   and 
  Fucus 
  in 
  the 
  Httoral 
  region; 
  East 
  Haven. 
  

  

  T 
  

  

  over 
  almost 
  completely 
  with 
  their 
  coarse, 
  leathery, 
  forked 
  fronds 
  

   the 
  surfaces 
  of 
  rocks, 
  occurring 
  also, 
  though 
  perhaps 
  less 
  luxuri- 
  

   antly, 
  on 
  piles 
  and 
  other 
  woodwork. 
  The 
  two 
  may 
  grow 
  

   intermixed, 
  or 
  one 
  or 
  the 
  other 
  may 
  predominate 
  locally. 
  Fucus 
  

   usually 
  ranges 
  somewhat 
  nearer 
  high 
  tide 
  mark 
  than 
  Ascophyllum, 
  

   and 
  along 
  rocky 
  shores 
  the 
  upper 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  littoral 
  may 
  

   be 
  regarded 
  as 
  coinciding 
  approximately 
  with 
  the 
  upward 
  limit 
  of 
  

  

  ^T^Tih&^wer 
  littoral 
  and 
  the 
  midlHloral. 
  A 
  similar 
  subdivision 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  along 
  

   other 
  types 
  of 
  shore 
  (as 
  Johnson 
  and 
  York 
  have 
  done), 
  but 
  the 
  vegetational 
  dis- 
  

   similarities 
  here 
  are 
  much 
  less 
  apparent 
  and 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  chosen, 
  

   excepting 
  along 
  depositing 
  muddy 
  shores, 
  to 
  include 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  littoral 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  

   mean 
  intertidal 
  region 
  below 
  the 
  upper 
  littoral. 
  

  

  