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uiade at its lower stretches, gradually creepinj: upward, until in a parti- 

 cularly favorable season the whole dune is fairly well covered with plants. 

 The binding togetlier of the soil by the grasses, even for a short time, is 

 sufficient to permit the establishment of other forms, so that in places the 

 flora of the upper beach and active dune may be quite varied. On the upper 

 beach the most common of the plants are Artemisia caudata and A. Cana- 

 densift, while the attractive Carduus Pitcher i is scarcely less common. In 

 these plants the strong and long tap-root and dissected leaves serve as an 

 almost perfect protection against excessive evaporation and the mechanical 



At the close of a favorable season the whole dune may be fairly well covered 



with plants. 



action of the sand in the case of high winds. In the case of the Artemisias 

 it was possible to observe in a considerable area, the perfection of the de- 

 fense the finely dissected leaves afford against the sand blasts of a storm 

 which lasted for nearly a week. Almost every other species in the area, 

 which lay open to the direct action of the wind-driven sand was completely 

 battered to pieces, while only about 15 per cent, of the Artemisias showed 

 any sign of having been subject to a long continued action of a destructive 

 force. 



Upon the upper beach, also, is to be found in favored situations the 

 beach pea, Lathynts r.iaritimns, although in no instance was it at all a 

 dominant form, irpon the active dune is often to be found the frost grape, 



