THE COMPARATIVE LEAF STRUCTURE OF THE 

 STRAND PLANTS OF NEW JERSEY. 



(Plates II-V.) 



By JOHN W. HARSHBERGER, Ph.D. 



{Read April 23, 1909.) 



In the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society for 

 last year (XLVII: 97-110. 1908), I presented the results of my 

 study of the leaf structure of the sand dune plants of Bermuda. 

 So many points of interest developed in the course of that investi- 

 gation, that I undertook a study of the leaf structure of the char- 

 acteristic species growing along the sea shores of New Jersey. This 

 investigation was also in part a continuation of those previously 

 conducted on the geographic distribution of the New Jersey strand 

 flora begun in 1892 and continued down to the present year. 



Phytogeography of the Strand. 



The strand flora of New Jersey comprises several well-marked 

 phytogeographic formations, namely, the sea beach formation, the 

 dune formation, the thicket formation and the salt marsh forma- 

 tion. The sea beach formation comprises those plants which grow 

 on the middle and upper beaches, the lower beach being wave swept. 

 The typic plants of this formation are Cakile edentula, Ammodenia 

 (Arenaria) peploides, Salsola kali, Euphorbia polygonifolia, Cen- 

 chrus tribuloides, Ammophila arenaria, Xanthium echinatum, Atri- 

 plex arenaria, Sesuvium maritimum, Strophostyles helvola and 

 Solidago sempervirens. The dunes of New Jersey consist of wind- 

 blown siHcious sand and occur at greater or less height along the 

 entire coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May, while back of them 

 occur salt marshes which fringe the open bays, or river channels. 

 The character plants of the New Jersey dunes are the marram 



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