PLANTS OF THE SALT MARSH
If I was asked to take somebody to a
place which had a real "Essex atmosphere",
I would certainly choose a salt marsh. We
found a typical area near Little Oakley on
the E.F.C. meeting on the 24th July 1977.
The most conspicuous plant at this time of
the year is the Sea Lavender. The common
species (Limonium vulgare) has a flower
stalk which is not branched below the middle
and leaves with the veins leaving the midrib
in a pinnate fashion like the leaflets of an
ash leaf. We were on the look out for less
common species and were
lucky to find the Rock
Sea Lavender (Limonium
binervosum) in one area.
This can be recognised
by its leaves which
have three parallel
veins towards their
bases. We did not find
the third species found
in Essex which is the
Lax-flowered Sea
Lavender (Limonium
humile) which can be
distinguished by its
pinnately veined leaves
and its flower stalk which
is branched below the
middle. Earlier in the
Summer we would have seen
the pink flowers of the
Thrift (Armeria maritima)
covering the marsh, but
at this time of year we
had to be content with
the withered flower
heads of this plant.