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REGION 2: THE COASTAL PRAIRIE

WHILE the region as a whole is characterized by vast stretches of level grassland, constituted by sage, carpet, salt, paspala, panic, dropseed, grama grass, and other grasses, it bears local areas of well developed woodland. These occur

• (1) upon sandy ridges, and
• (2) along stream courses.

The woodlands along the latter gradually fray out as the streams approach salt water. In the southern portion, from Rockport southward, chaparral vegetation-mesquite, Acacia, and others-becomes increasingly dominant, and the grasses show increasing adaptation to diminished rainfall, evidenced by a change in species and, less commonly, in genera. Buffalo grass, curly mesquite grass, grama grass, and others unknown to the northern portion-Jefferson and Chambers counties- here become dominants.

Water deficiency south of Kleberg County is so great as to prevent dryland farming except upon soil in which a particularly favorable texture gives a maximum of water conservation, as about Raymondville and Lyford. The tight silty soil of the Rio Grande flood plain is successfully cultivated only under irrigation, but its great richness, combined with a subtropical climate has produced an unsurpassed horticultural-vegetable and citrus-region.

It is a fact probably few realize, that aside from the Trinity and the San Jacinto, no Texas stream merges with salt water through a wooded bottom. All have their confluence through marshlands composed of giant reeds, cat-tails and sedges. It is a grotesquely interesting sight to view from a distance an ocean liner bound for Houston or Beaumont apparently sailing majestically across the prairie! Bluff banks of sufficient elevation to supply the essential degree of drainage, together with a red or yellow sand-clay soil, are apparently responsible for the two exceptional woodland cases mentioned.

Levelness, impervious substratum, and heavy annual rainfall, "

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Dominants, conspicuous and abundant members of a group of plants (flora) or animals (fauna).