Seasides and Strand Plants 



Those near shore are already occupied by a short 

 sward of vegetation. These ^re quite flat, often very 

 wide in extent, and are definitely conquered and being 

 utilised by the plant world. 



We shall call them the Armeria mud-flats, for in 

 early summer they are quite beautiful with the exquisite 

 pink flowers of the seathrift or Armeria. 



If one proceeds towards the water, one finds, after a 

 greater or less interval, that Armeria and most of its 

 companions suddenly disappear. At first one might 

 think that there are no more land plants, but towards 

 the sea the undulating surfaces of the highest banks 

 are covered with a faint light-green tint. 



When, after some difficulty, such a place is reached, 

 ones finds distantly scattered over the surface multi- 

 tudes of a small but most interesting plant, the salt- 

 wort (Salicornia herbacea). But in the estuary there 

 is still another land-vegetation — the submerged sea- 

 grass meadows of Zostera and its allies, Ruppia and 

 Zannichellia. 



These three associations — submerged sea-grass mea- 

 dows, saltwort banks, and Armeria flats — are engaged 

 in the same task which is to occupy the estuarine mud- 

 and sand-banks, and turn them into good and fertile land. 



Zostera and its allies are to be found chiefly about 

 low-water mark, though they go to considerable depths 

 (9, 15, or even 35 feet below the water). In such 

 places they require very special contrivances, both to 

 keep themselves anchored and also for pollination. 



Zostera stems are prostrate, curved, and firmly held 

 by roots alternately placed on either side and directed 

 sideways. During a tug-of-war (if one is calm enough 

 in spirit) one sees the rope becoming inevitably curved 

 by the men at the loose end throwing themselves back, 

 whilst the part held by the first two or three men is 



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