﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  517 
  

  

  4 
  

  

  best 
  developed 
  toward 
  its 
  upper 
  margin, 
  but 
  even 
  here, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  

   the 
  sand 
  is 
  only 
  sparsely 
  populated. 
  Common 
  species 
  are 
  the 
  

   following: 
  

  

  Chenopodium 
  album 
  Salsola 
  Kali 
  f 
  

  

  *' 
  leptophyllumf* 
  ' 
  Cakile 
  edentula 
  f 
  

  

  Atriplex 
  arenaria 
  Euphorbia 
  polygonifolia 
  f 
  

  

  Palula 
  haslata 
  f 
  Xanthium 
  canadense 
  f 
  

  

  it 
  

  

  f( 
  tt 
  

  

  littoralis 
  f 
  

  

  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  beach. 
  — 
  The 
  upper 
  beach 
  (Figs, 
  i, 
  2) 
  

   lies 
  beyond 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  weaves 
  at 
  all 
  seasons. 
  Chronologically, 
  

   it 
  is 
  the 
  oldest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  beach: 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  built 
  up 
  by 
  wave- 
  

   washed 
  sands 
  in 
  former 
  years, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  protected 
  by 
  the 
  middle 
  

   and 
  lower 
  beaches. 
  f 
  As 
  a 
  habitat 
  for 
  plants 
  the 
  upper 
  beach 
  

   differs 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  beach 
  chiefly 
  in 
  its 
  freedom 
  from 
  the 
  mech- 
  

   anical 
  effects 
  of 
  wave 
  action, 
  by 
  reason 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  for 
  

   perennial 
  species 
  to 
  exist 
  here. 
  The 
  distinctive 
  plants, 
  frequently 
  

   found 
  also 
  on 
  the 
  shoreward 
  reaches 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  beach, 
  are 
  four 
  

   xerophytic 
  perennial 
  herbs: 
  the 
  sand 
  reed 
  or 
  beach 
  grass 
  (Ammo- 
  

   phila 
  arenaria), 
  the 
  beach 
  pea 
  (Lathyrus 
  maritinms), 
  and, 
  east 
  of 
  

   New 
  Haven, 
  the 
  sandwort 
  {Arenaria 
  peploides) 
  and 
  the 
  dusty 
  

   miller 
  {Artemisia 
  Stelleriana) 
  . 
  These, 
  with 
  various 
  members 
  of 
  

   the 
  middle 
  beach 
  flora, 
  usually 
  form 
  a 
  sparse, 
  open 
  covering 
  over 
  

  

  the 
  sand. 
  

  

  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  dune 
  beach,— 
  Along 
  most 
  sandy 
  shores 
  the 
  

   upper 
  beach, 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  topographic 
  form, 
  is 
  practically 
  absent, 
  

  

  necessary 
  to 
  alter 
  somewhat 
  our 
  conception 
  of 
  what 
  constitutes 
  a 
  halophyte, 
  and 
  

   that, 
  while 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  impossible 
  to 
  correlate 
  geographic 
  ranges 
  of 
  beach 
  plants 
  with 
  

   their 
  adaptability 
  to 
  grow 
  in 
  highly 
  saline 
  situations, 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  some 
  such 
  

   correlation 
  becomes 
  greater 
  if 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  saline 
  constituents 
  in 
  the 
  soil 
  water, 
  irre- 
  

   spective 
  of 
  their 
  absolute 
  concentration, 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  a 
  criterion, 
  rather 
  than 
  absolute 
  

  

  salinity. 
  Thus 
  a 
  very 
  slight 
  admixture 
  of 
  sea 
  water 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  soil 
  water 
  (in 
  

   which 
  the 
  concentration 
  of 
  mineral 
  salts 
  is 
  very 
  slight) 
  would 
  be 
  sufficient 
  "to 
  bring 
  

   the 
  ratio 
  of 
  elements 
  into 
  approximate 
  agreement 
  with 
  sea 
  water" 
  (for 
  further 
  

  

  discussion, 
  see 
  Bartlett. 
  /. 
  c, 
  p. 
  223). 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  worthy 
  of 
  remark, 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  that 
  a 
  very 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  

   the 
  plants 
  which 
  characterize 
  the 
  beaches 
  and 
  dunes 
  along 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast 
  

   are 
  characteristic 
  of 
  similar 
  situations 
  along 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  where 
  soil 
  salinity 
  as 
  

   an 
  environmental 
  factor 
  is 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  question. 
  

  

  * 
  Species 
  marked 
  "/" 
  are 
  characteristic 
  of 
  beaches 
  along 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes. 
  

  

  t 
  As 
  with 
  other 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  beach, 
  the 
  lower 
  boundary 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  beach 
  is 
  

   subject 
  to 
  change, 
  since 
  in 
  times 
  of 
  exceptionally 
  severe 
  storms 
  the 
  sea 
  may 
  sweep 
  

   over 
  areas 
  which 
  hitherto 
  have 
  been 
  undisturbed 
  by 
  wave 
  action 
  for 
  long 
  periods. 
  

  

  