1906] GANONG—NASCENT FOREST OF MISCOU BEACH 89 
are so much more irregular in their various characters than the 
older inner beaches, which antedate the advent cf man. 
But while the beach grass has no competiter, it affords a shelter, 
especially behind its tussocks, permitting the growth of a number 
of other plants, which, however, form but an insignificant part of 
the entire vegetation, and which are widely separated from one 
another. Most important of these, perhaps, is the beach sedge 
Carex silicea, which grows in scattered tussocks here and_ there 
among the beach grass, and it is indeed the only other plant which 
ers a ‘ ae “xCe 
Fic. 5.—Ty pical grass plain, looking north; practically no plant visible except 
the beac h grass. 
seems at home in this situation. The remainder of the plants, all 
sparsely or rarely represented, are obviously stragglers from the 
most diverse hal bitats, many of them quite unexpected residents 
in such a situation. Thus, dwarfed saltwort strays in from the 
beach, and the beach pea is here somewhat more flourishing than 
on the open beach. Then there are greatly dwarfed individuals 
of certain ubiquitous. forms able to endure a wide range of physical 
conditions, such as the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, w hich extends 
in sheltered spots even to the outer margin of the plain; the’ Canada 
thistle, Cnicus a vensis; the sow thistle, Sonchus arvensis; the 
