si:a plantain 199 



The plant is a salt-lovt-r, ami s^tows in saline soil whieh is Jari^ely 

 santl sdil also. 



A t'unijiis, Tliccapltora liva/imx, attacks the leaves. 



Calystiy^nx is from two Cireek words denotiiiij calyx and cover, 

 reference beinyf to the two larjj^e bracts of the calyx. So/damlla, 

 Dodonieus, is possibly derived from tlu- Latin soldo, an Italian coin. 

 because of its rounded leaves. 



Sea Hells, Sea liindweed. Sea Cawle, Sea Coale, Sea Cole, Sea 

 Colewort, Sea Foalfoot, Scottish Scurvy Grass, Sea W'ithwind, are 

 names it has been given. Sea Foalfoot is bestowed on ii ixcause 

 ot the shape of the leaves, and Scottish Scurvy Grass because, as 

 Gerard says, " They use it instead of true scur\y (jrass {Coc/i/caria 

 ojfficina/is) ". The plant is an acrid purL;ati\c. 



E^SSKNTI.M, Sl'KClKIC Cn.VKACTKRS: — 



221. Ca/ystcjs^ia Soldanclla. Br. — Stem prostrate, short, leaves tleshy, 

 reniform, flowers pink, with vellow iiands, bracts shorter than the calyx, 

 on winged, square stalks. 



Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima, L.) 



Thoui^h an .Arctic plant this maritime species, like .some other mari- 

 time plants, is not represented in any ancient deposits. It is lound 

 to-day in Arctic and Temperate Europe. X. Atrica, N. and W. Asia, 

 as far east as the Himalayas, and in X. America. This plant is found 

 around the entire coast of Great Britain, except in Middlesex, as far 

 north as the Shetlands, and by mountain streams in \'orkshire and 

 Perth up to a height of 1800 ft. 



Sea Plantain is one of those species which are more or less confmed 

 to maritime conditions, existing there as a halophyte, growing in salt 

 marshes close to the sea with Saltwort, Samphire, Sea Rush, Sea Club 

 Rush. Sand Sedge, Marram Grass, and other seaside grasses that 

 fringe the salt-pans and the coast. It al.so invades the inland streams 

 in the far north at high altitudes, just as Thrift and some other plants 

 do, growing in crannies and holes. 



This plant has the grass habit with only radical leaves, the aerial 

 stems being scapes only. The leaves are smooth, long, lance-shaped, 

 erect,' fleshy, toothed, with three veins, narrowed into leaf-stalks below, 

 and at the base downy, semi-cylindrical, not flat. The leaves vary in 

 size from an inch to a foot and in other ])articular.s. 



The flowers are green, variable in number, borne on a rounded, 



' In the broad-leaved types they are horizontal. 



