﻿530 
  Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  and, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  one 
  or 
  another 
  predominates 
  locally. 
  The 
  salt 
  

   meadow 
  grass 
  commonly 
  comprises 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  meadow 
  vege- 
  

   tation, 
  being 
  especially 
  characteristic 
  of 
  areas 
  which 
  are 
  submerged 
  

   several 
  inches 
  at 
  ordinary 
  high 
  tides 
  but 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  drains 
  

   away 
  rapidly 
  between 
  tides. 
  The 
  alkali 
  grass 
  is 
  particularly 
  

   characteristic 
  of 
  situations 
  which 
  likewise 
  are 
  submerged 
  several 
  

   inches 
  at 
  ordinary 
  high 
  tides, 
  but 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  drains 
  away 
  

   more 
  slowly 
  than 
  from 
  the 
  areas 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  salt 
  meadow 
  

   grass. 
  The 
  black 
  grass 
  thrives 
  on 
  the 
  higher 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  meadows, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  areas 
  which 
  are 
  barely 
  reached 
  by 
  ordinary 
  tides- 
  

   It 
  commonly 
  forms 
  a 
  definite 
  zone 
  of 
  vegetation 
  along 
  the 
  land- 
  

  

  r 
  

  

  ward 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  meadow 
  (see 
  p. 
  533), 
  though 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  

   restricted 
  to 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  Any 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  species 
  just 
  mentioned 
  may 
  occupy 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  areas 
  to 
  the 
  practical 
  exclusion 
  of 
  everything 
  else; 
  but 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule 
  the 
  grassy 
  sward 
  is 
  dotted. 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  with 
  other 
  seed 
  

   plants 
  which, 
  if 
  less 
  abundant, 
  are 
  quite 
  as 
  distinctive. 
  Particu- 
  

   larly 
  characteristic 
  of 
  salt 
  meadows 
  along 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  coast 
  

   are 
  the 
  following, 
  any 
  of 
  which 
  may 
  grow 
  in 
  local 
  profusion, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  well-drained, 
  relatively 
  open 
  situations 
  where 
  their 
  

   grassy 
  competitors 
  are 
  not 
  too 
  abundant: 
  

  

  Piiccinellia 
  fascicjilata 
  (Torr.) 
  Bick. 
  Lirnoniicm 
  carolinianutn 
  

   Triglochin 
  maritima 
  Plant 
  ago 
  decipiens 
  

  

  Atriplex 
  patiila 
  hastata 
  Solidago 
  sempervirens 
  

  

  Salicornia 
  europaea 
  Aster 
  stcbulattis 
  

  

  «{ 
  

  

  mucronala 
  ** 
  tenidfolhis 
  

  

  Suaeda 
  maritima 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these, 
  the 
  salt 
  meadow 
  flora 
  may 
  Include 
  certain 
  

   of 
  the 
  plants 
  to 
  be 
  listed 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  brackish 
  meadows, 
  

   these, 
  however, 
  being 
  restricted 
  in 
  the 
  main 
  to 
  the 
  landward 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  marsh. 
  The 
  character 
  plants 
  of 
  salt 
  meadow^s, 
  like 
  those 
  

   of 
  sea 
  beaches, 
  are 
  distinctly 
  xerophytic 
  in 
  their 
  structure, 
  and, 
  

   except 
  for 
  the 
  grass-like 
  forms, 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  tend 
  toward 
  a 
  succulent 
  

   habit, 
  the 
  samphire 
  {Salicornia; 
  Fig. 
  8) 
  being 
  a 
  leafless 
  succulent 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  extreme 
  type. 
  Salt 
  meadow 
  plants 
  apparently 
  differ 
  

   from 
  beach 
  plants,however, 
  in 
  being 
  true 
  halophytes; 
  they 
  are 
  

   physiological 
  rather 
  than 
  physical 
  xerophytes.* 
  

  

  * 
  Of 
  special 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  connection 
  is 
  Kearney's 
  paper 
  C18) 
  on 
  *' 
  Plant 
  

   Ufe 
  on 
  saline 
  soils" 
  

  

  