ABSINIH 187 



inconspicuous, and owing- to its ni.uiiinic hal)itat iimi li.iMc lo l,,- 

 visited by insects. Tlic antlicis mature lirsi, and uiil) when the 

 pollen is all shed does the siiom.i ripen. 



The fruits are flattened, and .so more easily dis])er.scd b)- the wind. 

 W hen ripe, bein>;" semi-detached, they are easily lilown awa\ . 



Samphire is a .salt-lover which requires a .saline soil. It is also a 

 sand plant and is addicted to a .saiul .soil. 



The only insect which feetls upon this plant is 'J'norM crillmii. a 

 Homopterous insect. As in the case of other .seasitle species funui do 

 not attack it. 



Critlniium, Dioscorides, is the Cireek name of the [)lant, which may 

 be from the Greek crillu\ barley, on account of the shape of the fruil, 

 and the second L.atin name is in allusion to the haliiial. 



The plant is called Camphire, Peter's Cress, C iislmarine. .Sea 

 Fennel, Pasper, Pierce-stone, Sampere, Samphire, Rock Samphire, 

 Sampler, Semper, Rock Semper. 



.Samphire was described by Gerard as yieldini; " the pleasantest 

 sauce, and best aoreeiny- with man's body, tor the digestion of meats". 

 It is liked by cattle. Samphire is used as a pickle and in salads, 

 and as a pot herb. It ran be grown in the garden in beds of sand, 

 rul)l)ish, or in pots, but sht)uld be supplied with liarilla. as it is on the 

 coast, from the sea breezes containing .salt, and the salt blown iii)(in 

 it b\ the wind. 



Essi:nti.\l Specific Cii.\r.\cteks: — 



127. Criflumtni iiiari/i?ninii, L. — Stem short, fleshy, glabrous, 

 leaves glaucous, bi- or tri-pinnate, leaflets linear- lanceolate, flowers 

 small, white or yellow, in umbels, with short brads, fruit green or 

 purple. 



Absinth (.\rtemisia -Vbsinthium, L.) 



Absinth is not found in early deposits, but is confined at the 

 present day to the Xorth Temperate Zone, in Murope, N. Africa, 

 X. and W. .Asia, the Himalayas, and Xorth America. In Great 

 liritain it occurs in tin- Peninsula, Channel and Thames provinces, 

 except in Buck.s, in .\ngiia and the Severn provinces, in Wales in 

 Glamorgan, Brecon, Carmarthen, Pembroke, Merioneth, Carnarvon, 

 Denbigh, Anglesea, in the Trent province, e.xcept in X. Lines, the 

 Mersey province, except in Mid Lanes, the Humber province, except 

 in S.E. Yorks, in the Tyne province generally and the Isle of Man; 

 in .Scotland in Berwick, Haddington, P'dinburgh, Linlithgow, I'ife, 

 W. Perth, P'orfar, E. Ro.ss, Orkney, and .Shetland. It ascends, as a 



