CATALOG OF PLANTS. (ig 



crops, most of the beach is sandy and xerophytic conditions prevail. 

 The one on the north side of Sand Point is fairly representative of such 

 beaches. Here it is lashed by heavy waves and swept by strong winds. 



The plants of such beaches, as would be expected, are not numerous 

 nor equally distributed. Very few plants can exist under such severe 

 conditions. One of the most characteristic is the American sea rocket, 

 a succulent crucifer, venturing nearer the water than any other beach 

 plant, and often abundant in places. It has been noticed from Sand 

 Point to Lake St. Clair and from Port Huron to Port Franks in Lambton 

 County, Ontario. In this region it is seldom seen farther up the beach 

 than the dune line. Sea-side spurge was not noticed at Sand Point, 

 but it was frequent and abundant in drifting sand in places from Case- 

 ville to Port Austin, following the shore to Port Huron and on the 

 Canadian shore to Port Franks. The beach pea, a vigorous perennial 

 and a good sand binder, is frequent, seldom seen beyond the first dune, 

 and nowhere noticed as abundant except on the south side of Little 

 Charity Island, where it carpeted the sand and very effectually held it 

 in place. It is remarkable that these three plants are common on the 

 Atlantic shore in similar situations. One of the most interesting plants 

 of the region, said to be found only about the Great Lakes, where it 

 probably originated, is the thistle, Cirsium pitcheri, which prefers a 

 sandy wave-washed and wind-swept shore and seldom gets farther 

 away than the first shoreward dune. It is common from Sand Point 

 to Port Austin and on Charity Island. So far as known to the A\Titer 

 it does not occur from near Port Austin to Port Huron in Michigan, but 

 it is common on the drifting shore at Port Franks in Lambton Count v, 

 Ontario, about 30 or 35 miles northeast of Port Huron. It is interesting 

 to know that this thistle was named for Dr. Zina Pitcher, an army 

 physician stationed more than fifty years ago at Fort Gratiot, now a 

 part of the city of Port Huron, and who probably was one of the first 

 botanists to examine the flora of this part of Michigan. 



Two grasses of the beach are very prominent as sand binders and are 

 most abundant on the north shore of Sand Point and for a mile or more 

 near Hat Point. One of these, the sea sand-reed, by its matted root- 

 stock system, demonstrates fully at these two places that it can very 

 successfully hold the shore and dune sands against the powerful action 

 of the waves, and equally well against the constant action of strong 

 winds. It is so well fitted for this purpose, as shown here, that its 

 reputation has become world wide. The other. Calamovilfa longifolia, 

 a tall and fine looking grass with a large redflish panicle, tloes not usualK" 

 here at least, gro\v so near the water, but holds the sands firmly against 

 the persistent action of the wind. It is frequent at Sand Point, and 

 from there to Port Huron is noticed in drifting sands. It is also 



