340 GEOGRAPHICAL BOTANY. 



them into two principal classes, according as their growth 

 is consequent on proximity of the sea or not. 



1. The following formations belong to the coast- 

 plants : a. Formation of the Dunes. Herbs or low shrubs, 

 which are either of very pubescent or of glaucescent 

 tint. To the former belong, e. g. Mattkiola sinuata, 

 Medicago marina, Orlaya maritima, Mercurialis tomen- 

 tosa. Diotis candidissima ; to the latter, Eryngium mari- 

 timum, Echinophora, Euphorbia Par alias, and Crucianella 

 maritima. The shrubby plants consist of Astragalus 

 massiliensis and Ephedra distacliya. As regards the 

 number of forms, the Grasses predominate (12 species 

 are known), the Cruciferae come next, with 4 species, the 

 Leguminosae and Euphorbiaceae number 3 species, and 

 the Chenopodeaceae, Polygonaceae, and Synantheraceae : 

 altogether more than 40 species grow there. Among the 

 dunes 2 allied species of Juncus are found (J. acutus and 

 maritimus), a formation peculiar to the humid soil, which 

 in the Landes is denominated Joncasses, and forms the 

 transition to the following formation. 



b. Formation of the Salt-water Marshes. Shrubs and 

 herbaceous perennials, with succulent leaves. Cheno- 

 podeae and Statices predominate here, both as regards 

 the number of individuals and of species : among woody 

 plants, Tamarix Gallica is found arborescent. Charac- 

 teristic forms among the Chenopodeaceae (11 sp.) : Che- 

 nopodium fruticosum, Ch. setigerum, Salicornia, 3 sp., 

 Salsola, 2 sp., Atriplex, 3 sp. ; of the Statices (5 and 

 more species) St. oleifolia, bettidifolia, and ferulacea ; 

 of other plants (15 sp.), Frankenia, 2 sp., Spergularia, 

 2 sp., and Artemisia Gallica. The Graminaceae are here 

 represented by Crypsis schcenoides only. 



2. The plants independent of the influence of the sea, 

 resolve themselves into formations of a moist and dry 

 soil ; the latter are either independent of the cultivation 

 of the land or not so. 



A. Water-plants. 



