SM10: Transitional low-marsh vegetation with Puccinellia maritima, annual: Salicornia species and Suaeda maritima

Summary

Adam (1976) recognised a number of vegetation types of the low marsh in which Puccinellia maritima was codominant with annual Salicornia species and/or Suaeda maritima during the growing season but which during the winter took on the appearance of very open Puccinellia maritima swards. Such transitional vegetation can be regarded as one extreme of variation within the Puccinellietum maritimae but, particularly in detailed studies of individual marshes, separate recognition might be appropriate. The description below refers to stands in which all three taxa are present.

Synonymy

Puccinellietum maritimae (Warming 1906), W. Christiansen 1927 auct. p.p.; Puccinellia-Salicornia-Suaeda nodum Adam 1976; Suaedetum maritimae auct. p.p.

Constant species

Puccinellia maritima, annual Salicornia spp., Suaeda maritima.

Rare species

Arthrocnemum perenne.

Physiognomy

Stands of the community are invariably species-poor and always dominated by complementary proportions of the three constants which during the growing season form a fairly low sward of rather variable total cover. Rayed Aster tripolium and A. tripolium var. discoideus are quite frequent though never abundant. There is sometimes an algal mat which can cover up to 50% of the substrate surface.

Habitat

At its lower limit the number of tides flooding the community is probably similar to that experienced by the lower part of the Puccinellietum maritimae. Soils vary from firm clays to coarse sands with a pH range of 7.0–8.0 and high levels of free calcium carbonate.