﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  109 
  

  

  lower 
  supralittoral 
  upward 
  and 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  where 
  the 
  

   influence 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  virtually 
  ceases. 
  The 
  vegetation 
  here 
  con- 
  

   sists, 
  primarily, 
  of 
  various 
  rock-face 
  and 
  crevice 
  lichens. 
  Some- 
  

   times 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  lichen-moss 
  zone 
  just 
  above 
  

   the 
  plantless 
  region, 
  but, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  the 
  crevices 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  support, 
  

   even 
  here, 
  a 
  limited 
  assortment 
  of 
  vascular 
  plants. 
  Prominent 
  

   among 
  these 
  latter, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  exposed 
  situations, 
  

   are 
  various 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  halophytic 
  species: 
  such, 
  for 
  example, 
  as 
  

   Carex 
  silicea, 
  Juncus 
  Gerardi, 
  Lathyrus 
  maritimus,Prunus 
  maritima, 
  

   Plantago 
  ^decipiens, 
  and 
  Solidago 
  sempervlrens. 
  Other 
  charac- 
  

   teristic 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  supralittoral 
  along 
  rocky 
  shores 
  are 
  

   listed 
  below. 
  

  

  Juniperus 
  virginiana 
  Pyrus 
  arhiUifolia 
  atropurpurea 
  

  

  Deschampsia 
  flexiwsa 
  Amelanchier 
  sp. 
  

  

  Danihonia 
  spicaia 
  Rosa 
  humilis 
  

  

  Poa 
  compressa 
  Rhus 
  iyphina 
  

  

  Poa 
  pratensis 
  Rhus 
  Toxicodendron 
  

  

  Festuca 
  rubra 
  Psedera 
  quinquefolla 
  

  

  Festuca 
  octoflora 
  Hypericum 
  genlianoides 
  

  

  Smilacina 
  stellata 
  Opuntia 
  vulgaris 
  

  

  Smilax 
  glauca 
  Gaylussacia 
  haccata 
  

  

  Myrica 
  carolinensis 
  Anagallis 
  arvensis 
  

  

  Rumex 
  Acetosella 
  Achillea 
  Millefolium 
  

  

  Sagina 
  procumbens 
  Chrysanthemum 
  Leucanihemuyn 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  noted 
  that, 
  except 
  for 
  Sagina, 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  here 
  

   mentioned 
  are 
  xerophytic, 
  light-requiring 
  species. 
  Indeed, 
  aside 
  

   from 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  halophytic 
  element, 
  the 
  associations 
  of 
  

   the 
  upper 
  supralittoral 
  along 
  the 
  seacoast 
  differ 
  but 
  little 
  from 
  the 
  

   pioneer 
  associations 
  elsewhere 
  developed 
  on 
  ordinary 
  rocky 
  up- 
  

   lands. 
  Toward 
  the 
  upper 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  supralittoral 
  region 
  there 
  

   commonly 
  occurs 
  a 
  dense 
  thicket 
  of 
  bayberry, 
  sumac, 
  poison 
  ivy, 
  

   and 
  various 
  others 
  of 
  the 
  shrubs 
  and 
  vines 
  listed. 
  

  

  B. 
  Shores 
  and 
  bottoms 
  of 
  glacial 
  

   I. 
  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  sublittoral 
  region 
  

  

  jf 
  slony 
  

  

  -Where 
  the 
  substratum 
  acted 
  

  

  on 
  by 
  the 
  forces 
  of 
  erosion 
  is 
  glacial 
  drift, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  finer 
  detritus 
  

   commonly 
  is 
  carried 
  away 
  by 
  the 
  currents, 
  leaving 
  behmd 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  to 
  be 
  transported. 
  This 
  type 
  of 
  bottom 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  one 
  a 
  ong 
  

   exposed 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  shore 
  line, 
  yet 
  httle 
  need 
  be 
  

  

  w 
  

  

  