A STUDY OF SEASHORE VEGETATION. 1025 



In the whole of B, besides specimens (2), (3) and (4) above mentioned, 

 there were also found (5) Launea pinnatifida, a creeping stolonif erous com- 

 posite, and (6) a Labiate, Lippia nodijiora, which held together small sand 

 hills of about six inches high, on top of which its flowers and fruits appeared. 

 All these plants were still very sparsely scattered with large intervals of 

 bare sand. 



At about 600 yards from the bridge began the area marked C. This 

 area was absolutely bare of vegetation throughout its whole depth. The 

 reason was not far to seek. The dunes at this place had disappeared and 

 the wind had an absolutely unrestricted sweep over the barren tract. 

 With the reappearance of dunes vegetation also reappeared and formed 

 area D bounded on one side by the dunes and on the other by a small 

 muddy inlet. In this inlet were seen the first adult Avicennias met with 

 in that morning's excursion, and along with them the following plants : — (4) 

 C'ynodon dactylon, (7) Sueda fruticosa, (8) Acanthus ilicifolius, and (9) Sesuvium 

 portulacastrum. A little way from the inlet towards the centre of the area 

 appeared Avicennia seedlings, but it was apparent that these were not 

 from the plants in the inlet since the latter were not fruiting. Still nearer 

 the sea in this same area appeared small isolated clumps of (10) Ipomea 

 biloba. These were the outposts of the main body of this plant which 

 completely covered area E. Seedlings of this Ipomea had been met in 

 previous areas but only in D did the plant first appear in clumps and 

 seemed to be forming small dunes. The grass (11) Panicum colonum was 

 also found here represented by a few scattered specimens. 



In area E there was, as above mentioned, a thick mat of Ipomea biloba 

 and the dunes here were higher than at any other point in the areas 

 surveyed, on account of the sand-binding properties of this plant. The 

 Ipomea was in flower and a few fruits were also visible. There was little 

 along with the Ipomea except one intrusive piece of turf and a few 

 scattered grasses and sedges. These were as follows : — 



(12) Pycreus polystachyos, (13) Fimbristylis diphylla, (14) Cyperus malaccensis 

 and (15) Sporobolus glaucifolius . There was also one sickly plant of (16) 

 Calotropis gigantea and a stunted specimen of (17) Erythrina indica. 



The Ipomea patch was only 100 yards broad and no more was visible 

 for at least two miles. 



Leaving out the doubtful Iphigenia the following list shows the plants 

 found and their natural orders : — 



Natural Order. Plant. 



Leyuminosm . . . . . . . . (17) Erythrina indica. 



Composited 

 Acanthacece 

 Chenopodiaacece. . . 

 Asclepiadacece 



(5) Launea pinnatifida. 

 (8) Acanthus ilicifolius. 

 (7) Sueda fruticosa. 

 (16) Calotropis gigantea. 



