376 



FLORA. 



ament-like spikes, the pistillate solitary in the axils, or rarely several together. 

 Staminate flowers without a calyx; stamens 2-5 together under peltate rhombic- 

 ovate acute spirally arranged scales; filaments short. Pistillate flowers sessile or 

 very nearly so; calyx compressed, ovoid or oblong, slightly 2 -lipped, adnate to the 

 bases of the 2 subulate exserted papillose stigmas, appendaged by a narrow border 

 which expands into a membranous horizontal wing in fruit. Seed vertical, the 

 testa translucent, double; embryo coiled into a flat spiral, green; endosperm none. 

 [Name Greek, flesh-thorn, from the fleshy leaves and thorny stems.] A monotypic 

 genus of western N. Am. 



i. Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook.) Torr. GREASE WOOD. (I. F. f. 1392.) 

 Glabrous or the young foliage somewhat pubescent, 0.6-3 m - high* the branches 

 nearly white. Stem 2-8 cm. in diameter; wood yellow, very hard; leaves obtuse 

 or subacute, 1-4 cm. long, 2-3 mm. wide; spikes of staminate flowers 6-25 mm. 

 long, cylindric, short-peduncled or sessile; wing of the calyx 8-12 mm. broad when 

 mature, conspicuously veined. In dry alkaline and saline soil, western Neb. and 

 Mont, to Nev. and N. Mex. June -July. 



12. DONDIA Adans. 



Fleshy herbs, or low shrubs, with alternate narrowly linear thick or nearly 

 terete entire sessile leaves, and perfect or polygamous bracteolate flowers, solitary 

 or clustered in the upper axils. Calyx 5-parted or 5-cleft, the segments in fruit 

 enclosing the utricle. Stamens 5. Styles usually 2, short. Pericarp separating 

 from the seed. Embryo coiled into a flat spiral. Endosperm wanting or very 

 little. [In honor of Jacopodi Dondi, Italian naturalist of the fourteenth century.] 

 About 50 species, of wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, some 6 

 others occur in the western and southern parts of N. Am. 



Calyx-lobes not appendaged ; Atlantic coast species. 



Dark green, not glaucous : sepals acutely keeled ; seed black. i. D. Americana. 



Light green, glaucous : sepals scarcely keeled; seed dark red. 2. D. maritima. 



One or more of the calyx-lobes crested or winged; western species. 3. D. depressa. 



1. Dondia Americana (Pers.) Britton. TALL SEA-BLITE. (I. F. f. 1393.) 

 Stem erect, strict, 3-10 dm. tall, pale green or nearly white, the branches slender, 

 very leafy, erect-ascending or sometimes recurved. Leaves of the stem linear- 

 subulate, 1-4 cm. long, those of the branches much shorter, somewhat 3-angled, 

 lanceolate-subulate, widest just above the base, the upper surface flat; sepals glau- 

 cous, acutely keeled or almost winged; seed orbicular, black, shining, I mm. broad. 

 On salt marshes and along salt-water ditches, N. S. to N. J. Aug.-Sept. 



2. Dondia maritima (L.) Druce. Low SEA-BLITE. (I. F. f. 1394.) Pale 

 green and somewhat glaucous; stem bushy-branched, 1-4 dm. high, becoming 

 brownish, the branches ascending. Leaves 10-25 mm. long, those of the branches 

 not conspicuously shorter than the upper ones of the stem, 3-angled, broadest at 

 the base; sepals pale green, rounded or obtusely keeled, somewhat roughened; 

 seed orbicular, dark brownish red, shining, about 2 mm. in diameter. On sea 

 beaches, stony and muddy shores, and in salt marshes, Me. to S. N. Y. Also on 

 the coasts of Europe. July-Sept. 



3. Dondia depressa (Pursh) Britton. WESTERN ELITE. (I. F. f. 1395.) 

 Branched, 1.5-6 dm. tall, the branches usually very leafy. Leaves narrowly linear, 

 1-2.5 cm - l n g> broadest at or just above the base, or the upper lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate and commonly much shorter; sepals acute, one or more of them strongly 

 keeled or crested in fruit ; seed about i mm. in diameter, rather dull, minutely 

 reticulated. In saline soil, Minn, to the N. W. Terr., south to Neb., Colo, and 

 Nev. June-Aug. 



13. SALSOLA L. 



Bushy-branched herbs, with rigid subulate prickle-pointed leaves, and sessile 

 perfect 2 -bracteolate flowers in the axils. Calyx 5-parted. its segments appendaged 

 by a broad membranous horizontal wing m fruit and enclosing the utricle. Sta- 

 mens 5. Ovary depressed; styles 2. Utricle flattened. Seed horizontal; embryo 

 coiled into a conic spiral; endosperm none. [Name Latin, a diminutive of salsus, 



