Dunes and Prairies
Barrier Islands and
Beach
Dunes develop on oceanic sand
substrates. Plants growing in these habitats are subjected
to the relatively high rainfall patterns typical of the
Gulf coastal area. However, because the sands are so
well-drained, many plants have evolved xerophytic
adaptations such as succulence, reduced leaves, glaucous
leaf surfaces, stomatal pits, etc. Dominant species
include: Ipomea
pes-caprae (beach morning glory),
I.
stolonifera (fiddle-leaf morning
glory), Batis
maritima (saltwort), Borrichia
frutescens (sea oxeye),
Croton punctatus (Gulf croton),
Schizachryium
maritimum (seacoast bluestem),
Uniola
paniculata (sea oats), Paspalum
monostachyum (dune paspalum), Beach
rosemary.
Calcareous
Prairie develops on Cretaceous chalks
and soft limestone in several areas in Mississippi
(see Physiographiy
of MS).
The soils are neutral to basic. These glade-like
communities are dominated by a variety of herbaceous
species including: Schizachryium
scoparium (little bluestem),
Sorghastrum
nutans (indiangrass),
Silphium
spp. (compass
plant, rosinweed), Liatris
spp. (Blazing
Star), Andropogon
gerardii (big bluestem),
A.
glomeratus (bushy bluestem),
Tripsacum
dactyloides (eastern gammagrass),
Ruellia
humilis (prairie petunia),
Petalostemum
spp. (prairie
clover), Echinacea
spp. (pink
coneflower), Ratibida
spp. (yellow
coneflower), Ascelipias
tuberosa (butterfly milkweed).