PLANTS THAT BUILD ISLANDS 121 
through the damp sands, shoving their way by 
means of a sharp point at the end of each shoot. 
At every joint is sent/out a new shoot and numerous 
new roots, in the same way that couch-grass spreads. 
As the wind blows the sands over a new shoot, 
the grass keeps climbing above the surface, and so 
for many feet the sand-hill continues to grow up- 
ward. Every drift of new sand is hastily tied, 
until at last an enormous tract of land is bound 
and tied, laced and wrapped, until there is no 
escape from the grass’s clinging arms. 
Unlike many sand-binding grasses, the marram 
does not like salt water. It prefers to occupy the 
sand-dunes that are above the reach of the salt 
waves; and yet, it will not wander too far inland. 
This may be due to the crowding influence of am- 
bitious inland grasses. 
One of the most striking things relative to the 
sand-binding habits of the marram is its ability to 
suck up vast quantities of water. These enthralled 
patches of earth are always damp, due to the water 
that has been drawn up by the grass. As a result, 
all drifting sands immediately adhere to the damp 
sands, and become saturated in a short time; even 
the wind is helpless to move the sand grains when 
once they stick. Dry sands continue to heap upon 
wet sands; and the ever-eager grass reaches out, 
