NOTES ON COAST FLORA OF 

 HUNSTANTON. 



THE sea-coast flora of Hunstanton falls into four fairly 

 distinct groups : 



1. Mud plants. 



2. Pebble bank plants. 



3. Chalk plants. 



4. Sandhill plants. 



The distribution of these groups is governed by the con- 

 figuration of the land. 



At Heacham, a small river runs into the sea forming a 

 low-lying muddy estuary. The tide rip working against the 

 river has pilled up a small pebble bank which reaches its 

 maximum development at Heacham and gradually thins 

 away to the north. 



The town of Hunstanton itself is built upon a gently 

 sloping chalk hill which terminates in a small cliff varying 

 from fifteen to thirty feet high and about three-quarters of 

 a mile long. To the south are found the plants characteristic 

 of the Mud and Pebble bank, to the north of this cliff occur 

 the Sand hill plants. 



The Mud Plants. 



The distribution of the mud plants is governed by their 

 liability to flooding by the tide. Some, like Glaux maritima, 

 are found almost on the beach or in very low-lying situations 

 where they are frequently covered by water. 



Others, such as Aster tripolium and Glyceria maritima, 

 occupy the sides of muddy creeks which fill with spring tides, 

 but sometimes for days together remain nearly dry. 



Suaeda maritime and SaKcorma herbacea occupy flat 

 ground fairly frequently covered by the sea. On rather 

 higher ground is found another group of plants, and in little 



