THE SEA-COAST 



239 



from intervening lowlands, constitute one of 

 the most curious facts of plant distribution. 

 Discontinuous distribution, as shown by Dr. 

 A. R. Wallace, is an indication of the antiquity 

 of the plant types so dispersed. Hence it may 

 be considered that the occurrence of such plants 

 as Scurvy Grass, Thrift, Sea Plantain, Sea 

 Campion, &c. , inland on lofty mountains is 

 connected with the existence in earlier times 

 of sea margins, of which there are indications 

 (not where these plants occur) elsewhere at a 

 distance from the sea. 



There are other reasons for the occurrence 

 of such types inland away from the sea. It 

 is quite possible that the seeds of such plants 

 may be conveyed thither by animal agency, 

 especially birds. Wild fowl, ducks, geese, 

 swans, plovers, and many other birds frequent 

 the coast on migration, and also inland lochs 

 and upland moors and bogs. Some maritime 

 birds, as the Dotterel, Redshank, Blackheaded 

 Gull, and others, leave the sea-coast during 

 the breeding season to seek such habitats as 

 the inland types of maritime plants frequent. 



Whatever be the cause of the isolation of 

 these maritime plants upon hills inland, their 

 occurrence in such spots is of the greatest 

 interest, and any observations that may be 

 made upon these points will assuredly be pro- 

 lific in results. 



Inland Salt-marshes. In the case of the mon- 

 tane types of maritime plants described in the 

 last section, there were no conditions inland 

 resembling those on the sea-coast to account 

 for the occurrence of Thrift, &c., in alpine 

 situations. In the case of certain inland salt- 

 marshes, however, the conditions are similar 

 to those on the sea-coast ; that is to say, they 

 are suited to halophytes, plants that require 

 salt or brackish water. In the neighbourhood 

 of Droitwich, famous for its brine springs, 

 such plants are to be found, also in the Severn 

 valley from the Salwarpe valley to Droitwich, 

 and in the Tewkesbury and Evesham district. 



At Longdon and Welland marshes CEnanthe 

 pimpinelloides , CE. lachenalii, (E. silaifoUa (all 

 maritime species of Dropwort), Golden Dock, 

 Sea Club Rush, and Alexanders occur. If 

 the land were submerged 100 ft., the tide 

 which comes far up the Severn would reach 

 this point. Woad was found on cliffs also in 

 the Severn valley. Parsley, Fennel, Soapwort, 

 and Carum segetum also grow at Dodder- 

 hill in the same region. Dittander, a salt- 

 marsh plant, occurs at Salwarpe, and Senecio 

 squalidus at Droitwich. 



Between Droitwich and Hawford Lock 

 grow Celery, Sea Milkwort, Sea Spurrey, Sea 

 Orache, Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Club Rush, 

 Juncus compressus, and Brookweed. In the 



valley of the Trent, near Stratford, 250 ft. 

 above the sea, also grow Sea Spurrey, Celery, 

 Sea Aster, Sea Milkwort, Sea Arrow Grass, 

 Sea Club Rush. Sea Stork's Bill is also found 

 in various parts of Worcestershire. Wher- 

 ever these plants occur there are salt springs, 

 hence their occurrence inland. They may have 

 been introduced by birds that frequent mari- 

 time salt marshes. 



The Sandy Coasts, Muddy Estuaries, Rocky 

 Coasts. The first zone is made up of sandy 

 coasts, muddy estuaries, rocky coasts, and 

 sea cliffs. Of the plants here described in 

 detail the bulk grow on sandy coasts, as Sea 

 Kale, Sea Rocket (both also growing on 

 shingle), Sea Campion (also on shingle and 

 dunes), Sea Purslane (also on shingle), Tama- 

 risk (also on dunes), Sea Holly, Absinth, Sea 

 Lavender (also in salt marshes), Centaury, Sea- 

 side Bindweed (also on dunes), Sea Buckthorn 

 (also on dunes), Grass W T rack (in estuaries in 

 water), Sand Sedge (also on dunes), Crested 

 Dog's Tail Grass, Seaside Manna Grass, 

 Squirrel Tail Grass. 



Scurvy Grass grows on muddy coasts, Woad 

 on cliffs, and Samphire and Thrift on rocks, 

 the latter also in salt marshes and on sand. 

 Amongst other plants that are found upon the 

 sandy coasts are Sea Radish, Bloody Crane's 

 Bill, Scotch Rose, often farther inland, Cotton 

 Weed, Small Yellow Gentian, Buckshorn Plan- 

 tain (also often far inland), Rupture Wort, 

 Sea Spurge, Asparagus, Baltic Rush, Bulbous 

 Meadow Grass. On muddy coasts Beet is to 

 be found. On sea cliffs and rocky coasts the 

 following occur, amongst many others : Queen 

 Stock, Wild Cabbage, Isle of Man Cabbage, 

 Tree Mallow, Lovage, Blue Gromwell, the 

 latter also on shingle. 



It is thus evident that the flora of the first 

 maritime zone is of an extremely diverse and 

 interesting character, and that it is highly- 

 adapted to travel inland where conditions are 

 suitable, for many are common to the other 

 zones. 



The Shingle Beach. The extent of the 

 shingle beaches around the British coasts is 

 strictly limited, therefore the extent of the 

 flora which is established upon them is not 

 great. Furthermore, it is an extremely mo- 

 bile formation, and the age of the shingle 

 beach is distinctly recent in the majority of 

 cases. Again, the flora is made up largely 

 of the few plants with long far-reaching roots 

 that can establish themselves and adapt their 

 growth to the movement of the shingle, which 

 is liable to frequent additions to or removal of 

 the component pebbles. 



A striking feature of the shingle beach is 

 the manner in which laterals are formed at 



