256 POLYGAMIA— MONOECIA. Atriplex. 



Fert.Jl. on the same plant. Cal. inferior, in 2 deep, large, 

 flat, erect, compressed, ovate, bluntish segments. Cor. 

 none. Stam. none. Genu, superior, compressed. Style 

 short, deeply divided. Stigmas simple, spreading. Seed 1, 

 orbicular, compressed, wrapped in a thin close pellicle, 

 and enclosed between the enlarged, converging, heart- 

 shaped valves of the calyx. 



Herbaceous or shrubby, perennial, or annual, branched, 

 mostly upright. Leaves simple, undivided or jagged. 

 Pubescence scaly, or mealy. Sfipidas none. Fl. nu- 

 merous, small, greenisli, in tufted spikes^ or axillary 

 and aggregate. Seeds blackish, or brown. Stain, cer- 

 tainly opposite to the calyx\ not alternate with its seg- 

 ments. 



1 . A. portulacoides . Shrubby Orache, or Sea Purslane. 



Stem shrubby, spreading. Leaves opposite, obovate-lan- 

 ceolate, entire ; tapering at the base. Flov/ers generally 

 completely separated. 



A. portulacoides. Linn. Sp. PL 1493. WilhL v. 4. 957. FL Br. 

 1090. EngL Bot. v. 4. «. 2G1. Hook. Scot. 291. Bertolon. Am. 

 ItaL 244. 



A. maritima fruticosa, Halimus et Portulaca marina dicta, angus- 

 tifolia. Rail Sijn. 153. 



Halimus seu Portulaca marina. Bauh. Pin. 120. 



H. vulgaris. Ger. Em. 523./. Maith. Valgr. v. 1 . 145./. 



H. secundus. Clus.Hist.bA.f. 



Portulaca marina. Dalsch. Hist. 552. f. 



P. marina fruticosa, quae Halimus secundus Clusii. Bauh. Hist. 

 v.\.p.2.228.f. 229. 



Sea Purslane. Pctiv. H. Brit. t. 7.f. 7. 



On the muddy sea coast frequent. 



Shrub. July, August. 



Root woody, somewhat creeping, much branched at the crown. 

 Stems 12 or 18 inches high, shrubby, branched, leafy, ascend- 

 ing, or sometimes procumbent, hoary; round below 3 quadran- 

 gular above. Leaves opposite, stalked, leathery, bluntish, 

 entire ; tapering at the base into a channelled /oo/s/ffZ/r; hoary 

 or mealy all over. Spikes about the top of each branch, axillary 

 and terminal, erect, interrupted, consisting of several httle 

 sessile tufts, of reddish-green mealy Jlowers, some with yellow 

 heart-shaped anthers, and seldom any pistil; others with reddish 

 styles, and no traces of stamens. Cal. of the fruit, of the latter, 

 slightly enlarged, lobed, a little tumid. 



The whole plant abounds with fossil alkali, or Soda. Its silvery 

 glaucous hue is remarkable, and not inelegant. 



