Download Beach Plants

Beach Plants
Mackenzie Mertz, Ilanah Cassell and Tracy
Howard
Location
• Beach Plants are located in an area called the Upper
Beach.
• Usually, no plants can be found in the area called the
Lower Beach. The conditions in this area are usually
salty because of the misty air blowing off of the ocean
making it un-suitable for plant life.
Beach Profile
• The Upper Beach is the area between the intertidal beach and
the dunes.
• Usually a dry, sandy area, but can be affected by storms or high
tides.
Upper Beach
• Upper beach is more
suitable for plants
• The wind creates
dunes, which are held
in place by the roots
of beach plants
• Dunes are important
shelters for plants and
animals
Sand Dunes
• Coastal sand dunes or psammoseres
provide a range of habitats for plants
and animals. The habitats closest to
the beach are harsh and the plants
can suffer from lack of moisture and
nutrients.
Structure of a Plant
Roots anchor the
plant in the water
Stems transport water
and help support the
plant
Root hairs help
absorb nutrients
Leaves=Photosynthe
sis; collect carbon
dioxide for the plant
Algae vs. Plant Structure
What makes a plant, a plant?
Plants have three types of tissue systems-dermal, ground,
and vascular
Vascular tissue systems provides the transport of water
and minerals and the transport of food via the veins, stem,
etc. This system allows all the cells in the leaves especially
to excrete into transport channel as well as absorb energy
and food Leaves, stem, meidrim, roots
Algae on the other hand, can exchange directly with the
ocean Stipes, maristem, holdfast
Images taken from:
http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/Sea/pdf/Beach%20Plants%20of%20NE%20Florida.pdf
FAMILIAR BEACH PLANTS
Beach Elder
Sea Rocket
Railroad Vine
Firewheel
Beach Croton
Beach Morning Glory
Prickly Pear
(Opuntia)
• The Prickly Pear Cactus
(Opuntia compressa)
grows in the Upper
Beach area
• Has a thick waxy
covering to protect it
from water loss
• The pads and fruits are
covered with spines. At
the base of each spine
are numerous hair-like
glochids
Seaside Goldenrod
(Solidago)
• Fleshy, waxy leaves
(to protect itself from
salt spray)
• Habitat: Beaches,
dunes, salt marshes
• Flowering time:
August to November
• Height: 1-8 feet
• Stores water in it’s
stem
Beach Elder (Iva imbricata )
• Habitat=coastal sand
dunes, usually
located anywhere
from Texas to Virginia
• Each leaf is toothed
and fleshy
Sea Couch (Croton) Grass
Sea Rocket
(Cakile edentula)
• Grows on sandy
beaches above the
high tide line
• Stems and leaves are
both fleshy
• Can grow 6-20 inches
• These are native
Floridian beach plants
that flower from July
to September
Railroad Vine
• Can be over 30 feet
in length
• Lives in sand dunes
and anchors itself in
the sand
• Flowers can be
anywhere from redpurple to violet
Firewall (Indian Blanket)
• Grow 1-2 ft. tall
• Center=Brownish red
• Live in the upper
beach habitat
Beach Morning Glory
(Ipomoea imperati)
• The leaves alternate
• Habitat= Coastal
Sand dunes
• Texas, Florida North
Carolina
Bibliography
• http://www.geo-world.org/images/jpg/fore_dunes.jpg
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fette
s.com/lothian/images/marram.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.f
ettes.com/lothian/dune%2520succession.htm&usg=__kh
ffGY9j6ATbd2KX0rQ8VzRgoM=&h=266&w=200&sz=16&
hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=hPqRmrF4I2uGcM:&tbnh=1
13&tbnw=85&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsea%2Bcouch%2
Bgrass%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
• http://www.sms.si.edu/irlfieldguide/Ipomoe_pesc
ap.htm
• http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=gap
u
Bibliography 2
• http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H418.htm
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://fieldtrip.br
itishecologicalsociety.org/sand%2520dune%2520tour/br
aunton%2520burrows/sea_couch_and_sea_rocket.JPG
&imgrefurl=http://fieldtrip.britishecologicalsociety.org/san
d%2520dune%2520tour/sea_couch_and_seaRocket.ht
m&usg=__dJeS4Dz08URylDeYrpyC0cUB0YU=&h=960
&w=1280&sz=566&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=SzvzFCXOP3RqM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3F
q%3Dsea%2Bcouch%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa
%3DN
• http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/beac
h08.gif