﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Cqnnecticut 
  

  

  527 
  

  

  the 
  water 
  through 
  tidal 
  creeks, 
  and 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  ice. 
  The 
  soft, 
  

   unconsoHdated 
  mud 
  of 
  the 
  flats 
  offers 
  Httle 
  resistance 
  to 
  erosion, 
  

   while 
  the 
  relatively 
  firm, 
  compacted 
  soil 
  of 
  the 
  midlittoral 
  marsh 
  

   withstands 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  degree. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  situations 
  

   where 
  erosion 
  phenomena 
  are 
  virtually 
  negligible 
  at 
  all 
  seasons 
  

   that 
  the 
  transition 
  between 
  tidal 
  flats 
  and 
  midlittoral 
  marsh 
  is 
  

   gradual. 
  

  

  -T- 
  

  

  Fig. 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  Spartina 
  glabra 
  midlittoral 
  marsh 
  in 
  New 
  Haven 
  harbor. 
  View 
  taken 
  

  

  at 
  high 
  tide. 
  

  

  The 
  character 
  plant 
  of 
  the 
  midhttoral 
  marsh 
  is 
  the 
  salt 
  marsh 
  

  

  pilosa 
  and 
  alternifl 
  

  

  This 
  coarse 
  

  

  rywhe 
  

  

  borders 
  of 
  the 
  marsh 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  tidal 
  creeks 
  (Fig. 
  4). 
  Ordi- 
  

   narily 
  it 
  occupies 
  a 
  narrow 
  strip, 
  a 
  few 
  yards 
  wide 
  at 
  the 
  most, 
  

   but 
  frequently, 
  on 
  gently 
  sloping 
  ground, 
  it 
  covers 
  large 
  areas 
  

   (Fig. 
  5). 
  Other 
  seed 
  plants 
  are 
  conspicuously 
  absent 
  from 
  the 
  

   midlittoral 
  marsh, 
  but 
  the 
  salt 
  marsh 
  grass 
  seems 
  peculiarly 
  

   adapted 
  to 
  this 
  habitat, 
  where 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  inundated, 
  on 
  an 
  

   average, 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  sixteen 
  hours 
  daily 
  and 
  where, 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  

   levels, 
  the 
  entire 
  plant 
  may 
  become 
  submerged 
  at 
  high 
  tide. 
  To- 
  

   ward 
  the 
  upper 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  midlittoral 
  zone, 
  however, 
  the 
  algae 
  

  

  