CHAP. LXXXIX MEADOW 



325 



on soil higher and drier than marsh and exhibits the following * sub- 

 formations ' (associations) : 



1. Poa pratensis, which is 2 to 3 metres above the mean water-table. 



2. Poa trivialis, I to 1-5 metres above the same. 



3. Aira caespitosa, which in June and July is -4 to -7 metre above the 

 level of water in pools. 



The * sub-formations ' of Carex panicea, of C. gracilis, and of Molinia 

 coerulea, on the other hand, must be regarded rather as belonging to moor. 



The 'sub-formation' of Festuca elatior belongs to the transition 

 between marsh and drier ground. 



In grassland derived from true marsh that has been diked the ' sub- 

 formations ' of Agrostis alba, of Poa pratensis, and of Lolium perenne are 

 to be placed in the category of mesophytic meadow or pasture (see p. 231). 



DISTRIBUTION 



In mountainous country true meadow occurs in many lands, for 

 instance in Norway and Switzerland. Giinther Beck's l ' valley-meadows ' 

 are among such ; they are for the most part mown twice in the year, and 

 contain twelve species of grasses together with many other herbs. In 

 Switzerland alone there are a number of different meadow-associations. 2 

 Schroter 3 classifies these into : ' dry meadow', * wet meadow ', ' fresh 

 meadow '. 



Belonging to the same type are Adamovicz's 4 Servian types of 'forest- 

 meadow ', ' mountain-meadow ', ' valley-meadow '. 



In reference to ' orchid-meadow ' and other types of Bohemian 

 meadows readers should consult Domin's papers. 5 Other communities of 

 tall perennial herbs are mentioned by Hayek 6 and C. Schroter. 7 The 

 latter refers to the ' richly foliaged stems whose broad, horizontally 

 extended, shady leaves allow nothing to spring up from the ground '. 



Certain prairies seem to approximate to meadow. For instance, 

 dealing with prairies in Nebraska, Pound and Clements 8 write : ' They 

 are to be regarded in general as mesophytic ; two sorts may be dis- 

 tinguished, high prairies and low prairies ; the latter have much in 

 common with meadows and pastures ; the former bear no small resem- 

 blance to the sand hills in certain respects. The principal grasses of the 

 former are sod-formers, of the latter, bunch-grasses.' 



In eastern Asia there occur meadows in which the grasses are taller, 

 and the dicotylous herbs so much so that in places they may be several 

 feet in height. The characteristic appearance of meadow is thus lost, 

 and there arise communities of tall perennial herbs of which Asia provides 

 examples in several regions. Kittlitz has pictured mixed societies of 

 stately, tall, perennial herbs, including huge species of Heracleum, which 

 rise above the luxuriant meadow soil : in addition we may cite the ' park- 

 lands ' of eastern Asia, where grassland has become occupied by trees 

 and shrubs and thus acquired a likeness to savannah. 9 The same forma- 

 tion reappears in Sweden, in a form that may be termed ' wood-meadow ', 10 

 also in the United States. 11 Park-land, in which meadow alternates with 



1 G. Beck, 1890. * Stebler und Schroter, 1 892 ; cp.Stebler und Volkart, 1904. 



3 Schroter, 1904; cp. Vierhapper und Handel-Mazetti, 1905. 



4 Adamovicz, 1898. 8 Domin, 1904, 19050. * Hayek, 1907. 

 7 C. Schroter, loc. cit. * Pound and Clements, 1898. 



Grisebach, 1872. l Hesselman, 1904. ll Cowles, 1901 b. 



