establish than the cordgrasses but readily volunteers into areas first 

 stabilized with other marsh plants. This and the fact that it is rarely- 

 dominant suggest that saltgrass should not normally be direct -planted 

 but rather allowed to volunteer into those parts of a planting to which 

 it is best adapted. 



(6) Big Cordgrass jSpartina cynosva'O'ides) . This grass is 

 taller (1 to 3 meters), with larger leaves, stems, and rhizomes than 

 smooth cordgrass (Fig. 9). It grows in salty or brackish areas, above 

 about MHW. Big cordgrass forms a dense root-rhizome mat and is a good 

 stabilizer but not as effective as saltmeadow cordgrass; it dies back 

 during cold weather. The grass covers large areas of high marsh along 

 brackish shores such as in Currituck Sound, North Carolina. However, 

 because it does not extend much below MHW, it cannot protect the lower 

 slope and is often undermined by waves in that zone. Propagation of 

 this plant is similar to smooth cordgrass but with much more difficulty. 

 Consequently, like black needle rush and black-grass, indirect estab- 

 lishment of big cordgrass by planting other easier handled species such 

 as smooth and saltmeadow cordgrass seems to be more practical. 



(7) Common Reed (Phragmites communis) . This large coarse grass 

 is 1.5 to 4 meters tall and widely distributed in brackish to freshwater 

 areas where it grows above about MHW (Fig. 3). Common reed seeds pro- 

 fusely, spreads vegetatively by rhizomes and stolons, is easy to trans- 

 plant, and is a good stabilizer. Where adapted, it grows and spreads 

 vigorously, often excluding other species. It is not generally favored 

 as wildlife food or cover although it is eaten by muskrats. Since it 

 can become a nuisance by crowding out more desirable plants, it should 

 be introduced into new areas with extreme caution. It loses some 

 stabilization ability when it dies back during the winter. 



(8) Other Plants . Sea oxeye {BoTviaha frutescens) , marsh 

 elder (Jua /rutescens), goldenrod {Soldago spp.) , sea myrtle (Bac- 

 aharis halimifolia) , and mallow (_Hibisaus spp.) are secondary plants 

 of the high marsh. Most of these could be planted but will normally 

 invade planted areas when and where conditions are favorable. Pickle- 

 weed and sea lavender {Limonium spp. ) are common in the higher parts 

 of the low marsh with pickleweed often in areas of salt concentration. 



Saw grass {Cladium jamaiecense) occupies mildly brackish areas. 

 Cattail {Typha spp.) is a common freshwater marsh species and has 

 been planted for marsh building (Restick, Frederick, and Buckley, 

 1976). Arrow-arum {Peltandra, spp.) and pickerelweed (Pontederia 

 cordata) have been planted with some success to form freshwater marsh 

 (Garbisch and Coleman, 1978). 



b. Peninsular Florida . Vegetation of the central and south Florida 

 shorelines differs from that of the other shores. The intertidal zone 

 in this region is usually dominated by mangrove trees rather than salt 

 marsh. Mangroves play a role in stabilization and primary production 



37 



