PHYTOLACCACE^. (POKE WEED FAMILY.) 435 



2. S. herb^cea, L. Annual, erect or at length spreading (6-18' high); 

 ^reen ; scales obscure and very blunt, making a truncate barely emarginate 

 termination of the longer joints of the stem or elongated narrower spikes; 

 middle flower much higher than the lateral ones, slightly shorter than the 

 joint; fruit pubescent; seed f-l" long. — Salt marshes of the coast and in- 

 terior salt springs, and alkaline localities. 



3. S. ambigua, Michx. Numerous tufted stems (3-12' long) decum- 

 bent or ascending from a hard and rather woody creeping base or rootstock, 

 greenish, turning lead-colored; spikes slender, short-jointed, the scales short, 

 acutish or acute ; flowers nearly equal in height and equalling the joint; seed 

 pubescent, ^" long. (S. fruticosa, var. ambigua, Gray, Manual.) — Sea-coast, 

 Mass. to Fla. and Tex. 



8. SU^DA, Forskal. Sea Elite. 



rioAvers perfect, sessile in the axils of leafy bracts. Calyx 5-parted, fleshy, 

 enclosing the fruit (utricle) and often carinate or crested. Stamens 5. Stig- 

 mas 2 or 3. Seed vertical or horizontal, with a flat-spiral embryo, dividing 

 the scanty albumen (when there is any) into two portions. — Fleshy saline 

 plants, with alternate nearly terete linear leaves. (An Arabic name.) 



1. S. linearis, jNIoq. Annual, prostrate or usually erect, 1-2° high, 

 branched; leaves narrow at base, -^-2' long, acute; floral bracts acuminate, 

 on slender branchlets ; sepals very thick ; anthers exserted ; seed horizontal, 

 round-oval, black, ^" broad. (S. maritima, Gray; not Dumort.) — Sea-coast, 

 N. Scotia to Fla. — A doubtful form of PL Mass. has the bracts and sliorter 

 leaves obtuse, larger flowers on less slender branchlets, and reddish seeds 

 nearly 1" broad. 



2. S. depi'GSSa, Watson. Annual, decumbent or erect, branching from 

 the base; leaves broadest at base, the cauline 3- 12" long, the floral lanceolate 

 to ovate ; one or more of the calyx-lobes very strongly carinate or crested. — 

 Saline soil. Red Kiver Valley, Minn., to Col., and westward. 



9. SALS OLA, L. Saltwort. 



Flowers perfect, with 2 bractlets. Calyx 5-parted, persistent and enclosing 

 the depressed fruit in its base ; its divisions at length horizontally winged on 

 the back, the wings forming a broad and circular scarious border. Stamens 

 mostly ,5. Styles 2. Seed horizontal, without albumen, filled by the embryo, 

 which is coiled in a conical spiral (cochleate). — Herbs or slightly shrubby 

 branching plants of the sea-shore, with fleshy and rather terete or awl-shaped 

 leaves, and sessile axillary flowers. (Diminutive of salsus, salty.) 



1. S. Kali, L. (Common Saltwort.) Annual, diffusely branching, 

 bushy, rough or smoothish ; leaves all alternate, awl-shaped, pricky-pointed ; 

 flowers single ; calyx with the converging lobes forming a sort of beak over 

 the fruit, the large rose or flesh-colored wings nearly orbicular and spreading. 

 — Sandy sea-shore, N. Eng. to Ga. Aug. (Eu.) 



Order 88. PHYTOLACCACE^. (Pokewked Family.) 



Plants loitli alternate entire leaves and perfect flowers, having the general 

 characters of Chenopodiaceae, hut usually a several-celled ovary composed 

 of as manu carpels united in a ring, and forming a berry in fruit. 



