﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  .Connecticut 
  

  

  539 
  

  

  features. 
  Particularly 
  is 
  this 
  true 
  of 
  marshes 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  estuar- 
  

   ine 
  origin, 
  and 
  these 
  will 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  fresh 
  

  

  i 
  

  

  water 
  series. 
  Fresh 
  water 
  estuarine 
  marshes 
  occur 
  along 
  parts 
  of 
  

   fresh 
  water 
  streams 
  which 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  tidal 
  fluctuations 
  but 
  are 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  saline 
  w^aters. 
  They 
  may 
  occupy 
  low 
  

   grounds 
  of 
  any 
  description, 
  but 
  are 
  most 
  typically 
  developed 
  

   in 
  situations 
  which 
  are 
  topographically 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  elsewhere 
  

   occupied 
  by 
  brackish 
  reed 
  marshes. 
  Along 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  and 
  

   Quinnipiac 
  rivers 
  they 
  make 
  their 
  appearance 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  above 
  

   'the 
  river's 
  mouth, 
  further 
  upstream 
  passing 
  into 
  flood 
  plain 
  

  

  h 
  

  

  W 
  

  

  swamps. 
  

  

  The 
  sublittoral 
  region. 
  — 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  bottom 
  

   below 
  low 
  tide 
  level 
  comprises 
  various 
  aquatic 
  seed 
  plants, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  the 
  wild 
  celery 
  (Vallisneria 
  spiralis) 
  and 
  divers 
  pondweeds 
  

   (Potamogeton 
  spp.). 
  Locally, 
  in 
  quiet 
  waters, 
  the 
  water 
  lilies 
  

   {Nymphaea 
  advena 
  and 
  Castalia 
  odorata) 
  maybe 
  abundant. 
  Other 
  

   common 
  aquatics, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  water 
  weed 
  (Elodea 
  sp.) 
  and 
  

   Najas 
  flexilis, 
  are 
  variously 
  represented. 
  The 
  bottom 
  vegetation 
  

   is 
  w^ell 
  developed 
  only 
  in 
  shallow, 
  slow-flowing 
  waters. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  littoral 
  and 
  midlittoral 
  marsh, 
  — 
  The 
  character 
  plant 
  

   here 
  is 
  the 
  wild 
  rice 
  (Fig. 
  9). 
  Along 
  muddy 
  stream 
  borders 
  and 
  in 
  

   sloughs, 
  in 
  water 
  ranging 
  from 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  to 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  feet 
  

   deep 
  at 
  high 
  tide, 
  this 
  magnificent 
  grass, 
  sometimes 
  nearly 
  ten 
  feet 
  

   high, 
  commonly 
  forms 
  a 
  luxuriant 
  growth. 
  With 
  it, 
  especially 
  

   in 
  the 
  shallower 
  water, 
  may 
  grow 
  various 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  listed 
  

   below: 
  

  

  Sparganium 
  spp. 
  

   Sagiliaria 
  latifoUa 
  

  

  tt 
  

  

  grammea 
  

  

  Echinochloa 
  Walteri 
  

  

  Leer 
  z 
  la 
  oryzoides 
  

   Scirpus 
  americanus 
  

  

  Feltandra 
  virginica 
  

   Oroniium 
  aqiialicum 
  

   Pontederia 
  cordata 
  

  

  Polygonum 
  acre 
  

   Slum 
  cictitae 
  folium 
  

   Bidens 
  laevis 
  

  

  * 
  Here, 
  as 
  elsewhere, 
  the 
  transition 
  from 
  one 
  type 
  of 
  swamp 
  to 
  another 
  is 
  gradual, 
  

   and 
  there 
  are 
  all 
  intermediate 
  degrees 
  between 
  the 
  typical 
  salt 
  marshes 
  which 
  prevail 
  

   near 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  the 
  typical 
  flood 
  plain 
  swamps 
  which 
  characterize 
  

   portions 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  above 
  tide 
  water. 
  As 
  in 
  the 
  salt 
  marshes, 
  the 
  substratum 
  

   in 
  an 
  estuarine 
  marsh, 
  whether 
  brackish 
  or 
  fresh, 
  usually 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   peaty, 
  but 
  any 
  attempted 
  line 
  of 
  demarcation 
  between 
  fresh 
  estuarine 
  swamps 
  

   and 
  flood 
  plain 
  swamps, 
  where 
  the 
  substratum 
  is 
  practically 
  pure 
  aUuvium. 
  must 
  

   be 
  quite 
  arbitrary. 
  

  

  