﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  111 
  

  

  where 
  the 
  periods 
  of 
  erosion 
  are 
  separated 
  by 
  periods 
  of 
  years 
  , 
  

   perennial 
  herbs 
  and 
  shrubs 
  may 
  become 
  estibhshed. 
  

  

  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  eroding 
  bluffs 
  in 
  glacial 
  drift 
  usually 
  in- 
  

   cludes, 
  in 
  varying 
  abundance, 
  various 
  of 
  the 
  herbaceous 
  xerophytes 
  

   elsewhere 
  listed 
  as 
  characteristic 
  of 
  rock 
  bluffs 
  (see 
  list 
  on 
  p. 
  icq)^ 
  

   together, 
  commonly, 
  with 
  such 
  additional 
  species 
  as 
  Equisetum 
  

   arvense, 
  Polygonum 
  scandens, 
  Oenothera 
  muricata, 
  Apocynum' 
  

   cannabimim^ 
  Verbascum 
  ThapsiiSj 
  A 
  mhrosia 
  artemisiifolia 
  t 
  and 
  

   Solidago 
  lanceolata. 
  It 
  may 
  also 
  include, 
  especially 
  below, 
  such 
  

   distinctively 
  seaside 
  plants 
  as 
  Lathyrus 
  maritimits, 
  Cakile 
  edentula, 
  

   and 
  Solidago 
  sempervirens. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  this, 
  in 
  the 
  main, 
  

  

  r 
  

  

  essentially 
  pioneer 
  flora 
  there 
  usually 
  are 
  present 
  various 
  relicts 
  

  

  ■ 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  preexisting 
  vegetation, 
  especially 
  plants 
  which 
  formerly 
  

   grew 
  toward 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  bluff 
  and 
  have 
  survived 
  on 
  raft-like 
  

   clumps 
  of 
  earth 
  that 
  have 
  slid 
  down 
  the 
  slope 
  (i.e., 
  ''slump 
  

  

  -I 
  

  

  plants"). 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  lower 
  suprallttoral, 
  between 
  ordinary 
  high 
  tide 
  level 
  and 
  

   the 
  base 
  of 
  an 
  eroding 
  bluff, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  narrow 
  fringe 
  of 
  

   stony, 
  gravelly, 
  or 
  sandy 
  beach. 
  The 
  vegetation 
  here 
  resembles 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  corresponding 
  region 
  on 
  shingle 
  and 
  sandy 
  beaches, 
  

  

  to 
  be 
  described 
  later. 
  

  

  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  liltoral— 
  Along 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  an 
  eroding 
  bluff 
  

   of 
  glacial 
  drift, 
  the 
  littoral 
  region 
  ordinarily 
  is 
  occupied 
  by 
  a 
  

   rather 
  steep, 
  stony 
  beach, 
  built 
  up 
  out 
  of 
  boulders 
  and 
  stones 
  of 
  

   all 
  sizes 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  washed 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  bluff 
  itself. 
  The 
  

   vegetation 
  here, 
  though 
  ordinarily 
  less 
  well 
  developed 
  (as 
  in 
  the 
  

   area 
  illustrated 
  by 
  Fig. 
  6), 
  is 
  essentially 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   littoral 
  along 
  rocky 
  coasts, 
  except 
  that 
  frequently 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  

   incursion 
  of 
  associations 
  characteristic 
  of. 
  depositing 
  shores, 
  

   favored 
  by 
  the 
  protection 
  from 
  wave 
  activity 
  which 
  the 
  boulders 
  

   afford. 
  Thus, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  unusual 
  here 
  to 
  find 
  incipient 
  salt 
  marshes 
  

   developed 
  here, 
  in 
  among 
  the 
  boulders 
  of 
  the 
  littoral 
  (Fig. 
  6). 
  

  

  C. 
  Forest 
  growth 
  on- 
  uplands 
  adjoining 
  the 
  shore 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  relatively 
  sheltered 
  Connecticut 
  coast 
  the 
  vegetation 
  

   of 
  sea 
  bluffs 
  and 
  headlands 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  distinctive 
  than 
  along 
  very 
  

   exposed 
  coasts, 
  such 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  northern 
  Cape 
  Breton 
  (see 
  Nichols 
  

   'i8, 
  p. 
  319 
  et 
  seq.), 
  and 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  on 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  

  

  