CISTACE^E 



CISTACEJE ROCKROSE FAMILY 



Lechea maritima, Leggett. 



Greenish or magenta-tinted 



Beach Pinweed. 

 July-September 



Lechea: in honour of Johan Leche, a Swedish botanist. 

 Maritima: Latin for seaside. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons, 

 and sometimes pure sand. 



THE PLANT: stout, rigid, six inches to ten inches high, the 

 stems densely tufted; covered \vith whitish and matted 

 hairs; some branches spreading or somewhat erect; flower- 

 ing branches slender, stiff and spreading; all numerous. 



THE LEAVES: alternate; linear or linear-oblong; less than 

 one inch long; those of the basal shoots, oblong or ovate- 

 oblong; densely hoary on both surfaces; mostly acute at 

 the apex; stemless or nearly so. 



THE FLOWERS: very small, numerous, clustered in an open 

 panicle. 



THE FRUIT: a pod, like a pin-head. 



A densely tufted plant, evenly branched, with many 

 short leaves and tiny inconspicuous flowers. 



A characterless growth and yet a frequent one on the 

 Commons. Even after a long look, one finds difficulty 

 in revisualizing this low plant, with spreading branches 

 that bear in great profusion the tiniest of pinkish-green 

 flowers. In fact magenta-green is the keynote of the colour 

 scheme, and thus arises a protective colouring that blends 

 with the general scheme of the Commons and makes this 

 plant such as one "might see, but notice not." 



"In the autumn, sometimes as early as September, the 

 basal shoots may be found beneath the surface of the sand 

 so densely invested with white pubescence as to appear as 

 if coated with hoar frost." 



230 



