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THE VEGETATION OF THE HACKENSACK MARSH: A TYPICAL AMERICAN FEN 



by the Indian for the nutritious grains.* The physiognomy of these marshes, 

 when viewed from a distance, is that of the typical reed marsh, and frequently, 

 as will be shown subsequently, Zizania aquatica is associated with the typical 

 fen plants and can with propriety be included with them. 



Typical fens are found in two places in CaHfornia. Klamath Lake is 

 situated in northeastern California, on the Oregon boundary line. Its shallow 

 water permits a great growth of tule, Scirpus lacustris var. occidentalism which 

 has stout creeping root-stocks and triquetrous stems, 2 to 5 feet tall. Rushes 

 grow with the tule, and these plants together fringe the lake shore, in places 

 expanding to a width of several miles. They also form islands varying in 

 size from a few square yards to many acres in extent. f 



The most extensive tract of fens on the Pacific coast follows the course of 

 the Sacramento River for a distance of 150 miles on either side. Here Scirpus 

 lacustris var. occidentalis chokes the marshland, associated with Scirpus 

 tatora. Islands occur, formed of muck, and they are separated from each 

 other by tortuous channels. Annuals here are generally 4 to 6 feet in height, 

 and plants 8 to 1 2 inches high in dry soil here double their size. 



The Everglades of Florida is an immense grassy marsh, or fen, covered 

 in the wet season — June to November — ^with water to an average depth of 26 

 inches, stretching on all sides to the horizon, and relieved in some places by 

 clumps of bushes or low trees (carr), and characterized by lagoons, channels, 

 or slues of open water, or filled with various aquatic plants. It extends 

 south toward Cape Sable, from the southern end of Lake Okeechobee. The 

 soil is a black muck (2.5 to 10 feet deep), overlying the Hmestone rocks which 

 form the bottom and sides of the basin in which the fenland occurs. The 

 whole area is covered with a rank growth of a coarse sedge, 8 to 10 feet tall, 

 having leaves with a fine edge, like a saw, hence the common name.J The 

 saw-grass, Cladium effusum, arises from a root-stock with matted roots. It 

 forms exclusive growth of such density as to become impenetrable, but with 

 open stretches of clear water, covered at places with water-lihes and pickerel 

 weed. Islands of bushes and trees (English carr) are scattered over the sur- 



* Jenks, Albert E.: The Wild- rice Gatherers of the Upper Lakes. Report Bureau of American 

 Ethnology, 19, pt. 2: 1019-1133 (1897-98). 



t Chapman, Frank M.: The Habitat Bird Group, Guide Leaflet No. 28, American Museimi 

 of Natural History, Feb., 1909, pages 38 and 39. 



% Harshberger, John W.: The Vegetation of South Florida. Trans. Wagner Institute, VII, 

 Pt. 3: 155-166, Oct., 1914. 



