﻿534 
  Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  Fyrus 
  melanocarpa 
  Rhus 
  typhina 
  

   Amelanchier 
  spi 
  " 
  Toxicodendron 
  

  

  Rosa 
  humilis 
  Clethra 
  alnifolia 
  

  

  Rhus 
  copallina 
  Gaylussacia 
  baccata 
  

  

  It 
  very 
  often 
  happens 
  that 
  the 
  ground 
  along 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  salt 
  

   marsh 
  (supralittoral 
  or 
  upper 
  littoral) 
  is 
  so 
  saturated 
  by 
  under- 
  

   ground 
  fresh 
  water 
  that 
  a 
  SAvampy 
  condition 
  would 
  prevail 
  here, 
  

   irrespective 
  of 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  tidal 
  waters. 
  In 
  such 
  cases 
  the 
  

   salt 
  marsh 
  proper 
  is 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  supralittoral 
  fresh 
  swamp 
  

   by 
  a 
  region 
  in 
  which 
  brackish 
  marsh 
  plants 
  predominate. 
  Many 
  

   of 
  these 
  latter 
  may 
  extend 
  well 
  up 
  into 
  the 
  supralittoral 
  region, 
  

   mingling 
  here 
  with 
  the 
  vegetation 
  of 
  the 
  fresh 
  water 
  swamp 
  (see 
  

   later 
  discussion 
  of 
  brackish 
  swamps, 
  etc.). 
  

  

  Muddy 
  beaches. 
  — 
  ^Very 
  often, 
  in 
  somewhat 
  protected 
  situations, 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  an 
  otherwise 
  sandy 
  or 
  stony 
  shore, 
  in 
  the 
  littoral 
  

   region, 
  is 
  somewhat 
  muddy. 
  Areas 
  of 
  this 
  description 
  (Fig. 
  2) 
  

   can 
  perhaps 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  incipient 
  marshes, 
  the 
  actual 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  typical 
  marshland 
  being 
  prevented 
  by 
  currents 
  or 
  other 
  

   local 
  factors. 
  The 
  lower 
  littoral 
  along 
  such 
  a 
  beach 
  is 
  frequently 
  

   overgrown 
  with 
  salt 
  marsh 
  grass, 
  although 
  in 
  other 
  cases 
  it 
  is 
  nearly 
  

   barren, 
  while 
  the 
  upper 
  littoral 
  usually 
  supports 
  various 
  of 
  the 
  

   species 
  characteristic 
  of 
  salt 
  marshes, 
  especially 
  Spartina 
  patens, 
  

   Salicornia 
  europaea, 
  Siiaeday 
  Limonium^ 
  and 
  Plantago. 
  

  

  2. 
  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  brackish 
  marsh 
  series 
  

  

  The 
  muddy 
  bottoms 
  and 
  tidal 
  flats 
  of 
  the 
  sublittoral 
  and 
  lower 
  

   Uttorah 
  — 
  The 
  eel 
  grass 
  commonly 
  ranges 
  well' 
  up 
  into 
  tidal 
  creeks, 
  

   but 
  the 
  characteristic 
  plant 
  of 
  muddy 
  bottoms 
  in 
  brackish 
  waters 
  

   is 
  the 
  ditch 
  grass 
  {Rtippia 
  maritima), 
  a 
  form 
  resembling 
  the 
  eel 
  

  

  H 
  » 
  

  

  grass 
  in 
  general 
  habit 
  but 
  much 
  more 
  delicate. 
  This 
  species 
  

   also 
  occurs 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  along 
  the 
  open 
  Sound, 
  in 
  waters 
  which 
  

   are 
  strongly 
  saline 
  (see 
  Graves 
  '08, 
  pp. 
  122 
  etseq.), 
  and, 
  at 
  the 
  other 
  

   extreme, 
  it 
  grows 
  in 
  waters 
  that 
  are 
  only 
  slightly 
  saline. 
  Even 
  

   at 
  its 
  best, 
  however, 
  the 
  Rtippia 
  seldom 
  approaches 
  the 
  more 
  

   robust 
  Zostera 
  in 
  mass 
  effect. 
  Another 
  seed 
  plant 
  of 
  shallow, 
  

   brackish 
  waters, 
  sometimes 
  growing 
  in 
  profusion 
  and 
  superseding 
  

   Ruppia 
  in 
  the 
  fresher 
  waters, 
  is 
  the 
  brackish 
  water 
  pondweed 
  

   iPolamogeton 
  pectinatus). 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these, 
  Vallisneria 
  

  

  