﻿538 
  Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Coxxecticut 
  

  

  angtistifolia) 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  reed 
  {Phragmites 
  communis), 
  together, 
  

   particularly 
  in 
  the 
  drier 
  situations 
  (as, 
  for 
  example, 
  on 
  marginal 
  

   embankments) 
  with 
  the 
  slough 
  grass 
  {Spartina 
  Michauxiana) 
  , 
  The 
  

   rose 
  mallow 
  {Hibiscus 
  Moscheiitos) 
  often 
  occupies 
  a 
  prominent 
  posi- 
  

   tion 
  here, 
  as 
  also 
  along 
  the 
  landward 
  edges 
  of 
  brackish 
  meadows, 
  

   and 
  the 
  wild 
  rice 
  may 
  predominate 
  in 
  the 
  fresher 
  situations. 
  

  

  The 
  swamps 
  of 
  the 
  stiprahttoral 
  region 
  may 
  be 
  essentially 
  simi- 
  

   lar 
  in 
  their 
  vegetation 
  to 
  the 
  brackish 
  meadows 
  and 
  marshes 
  which 
  

   have 
  just 
  been 
  described; 
  but 
  swampy 
  situations 
  in 
  the 
  supralit- 
  

   toral, 
  even 
  where 
  exposed 
  to 
  periodic 
  inundation 
  by 
  somewhat 
  

   brackish 
  water, 
  are 
  often 
  wooded. 
  As 
  already 
  suggested, 
  the 
  

   explanation 
  of 
  this 
  fact, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence, 
  on 
  drier 
  but 
  

   occasionally 
  overflowed 
  uplands 
  adjoining 
  both 
  salt 
  and 
  brackish 
  

   meadows, 
  of 
  various 
  trees, 
  shrubs, 
  and 
  herbaceous 
  plants 
  which 
  

   are 
  distinctly 
  non-halophytic, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  this: 
  that 
  "while 
  the 
  

   surface 
  marsh 
  soil 
  may 
  be 
  strongly 
  saline, 
  the 
  subsoil 
  is 
  controlled 
  

   by 
  fresh 
  water 
  which 
  flows 
  outward 
  from 
  the 
  higher 
  ground 
  under 
  

   the 
  salt 
  marsh 
  sod" 
  (Harshberger, 
  'ii, 
  p. 
  487). 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  

   many 
  plants 
  which 
  thus 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  flourishing 
  in 
  an 
  essentially 
  

   halophytic 
  environment, 
  it 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  only 
  the 
  shoots 
  

   organs 
  w^hich 
  are 
  incapable 
  of 
  absorption 
  and 
  hence 
  but 
  little 
  

   affected 
  — 
  that 
  are 
  actually 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  unfavorable 
  influence 
  of 
  

   the 
  saline 
  water. 
  

  

  Muddy 
  tidal 
  shores. 
  — 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  plants 
  described 
  in 
  

   preceding 
  paragraphs, 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  forms 
  which 
  are 
  

   generally 
  described 
  as 
  growing 
  along 
  muddy 
  tidal 
  shores 
  rather 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  marshes. 
  These 
  plants 
  are 
  especially 
  characteristic 
  

   of 
  brackish 
  tidal 
  shores 
  along 
  rivers, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  are 
  

   rather 
  local 
  in 
  their 
  occurrence. 
  The 
  following 
  are 
  representative: 
  

  

  Lopholocarpus 
  spongiosiis 
  Tillaea 
  aqtiatica 
  > 
  

  

  H 
  eler 
  anther 
  a 
  dubia 
  LUaeopsis 
  lineata 
  

  

  Ranunculus 
  Cyynhalana 
  ' 
  Limosella 
  aquaiica 
  

  

  3. 
  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  fresh 
  marsh 
  series 
  

  

  Introductory. 
  — 
  Fresh 
  water 
  coastal 
  swamps 
  may 
  be 
  either 
  

   marshy 
  or 
  wooded. 
  Wooded 
  coastal 
  swamps 
  scarcely 
  differ 
  

   from 
  wooded 
  swamps 
  inland 
  and 
  merit 
  no 
  special 
  comment 
  here, 
  

   but 
  the 
  fresh 
  water 
  marshes 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  present 
  certain 
  distinctive 
  

  

  