VEGETATION OF BLAKENEY POINT. 
539 
the flora resembles that of a salt marsh in the primary stages of 
colonisation. Salicornia europcea is the commonest species 
growing, with which are Aster Tripolium (f.), Glyceria mari- 
time z (v.r.), Salicornia perennis (v.r.), Enteromorpha (v.c.), 
and Fucus volubilis (v.c.) ; also Salicornia dolicostachya, 
which is found on relict marshes on the other side of the 
estuary. From the above it will be seen that this marsh 
differs from the usual early phase in the presence of Salicornia 
perennis and Glyceria maritima ; the latter especially is typical 
of late stages, whilst the former is seldom found on young 
saltings except at the high edges. The presence of these two 
species as great rarities on this marsh, which is of considerable 
extent, the deep channelling which it exhibits, and its situation 
relative to an eroded lateral, taken together, suggest that we 
have to deal here with the re-colonisation of a derelict marsh 
rather than the primary establishment of a new one. On this 
view the plants in question must be regarded as survivals from 
the former occupation. 
V. Species: Rare, Local, or of Special Interest. 
One of the most interesting features floristically that the 
Blakeney area presents is perhaps the occurrence here of 
Mertensia maritima (Fig. 17), furnishing its most southerly 
habitat on the eastern coast. It was recorded from this 
station in 1905 by Mr. W. H. Burrell, in the Transactions 
of the Society for that year. As an English plant the species 
is rare, but, as would be expected from its northern character, 
becomes much more frequent on the Scottish coasts. 
Of the other plants rare or local in the county a most 
pronounced feature is the number of Mediterranean species 
which are here either at or near their northern limit of distribu- 
tion. Of these the most striking is Suceda fruticosa, which, 
by its luxuriance, would appear to belie climatic influence. 
Elsewhere it is also to be met with on the shingle of Suffolk 
and Essex, and on the great Chesil bank in Dorset. Another 
interesting example is the Hair Grass, Corynephorus canescens 
(Fig. 11), which is mentioned as occurring here and in other 
stations by Trimmer in his Flora of Norfolk (London, 1866, 
