APETALiE 201 



the salt-marsh formation in the Glassvvort association, 

 in the general salt-marsh association, the Sea Manna 

 Grass association, forming social communities. 



Bright green in colour, the habit is erect, the 

 plant being herbaceous, with a slender root, the 

 stem-joints being thickened upwards and marginate, 

 branched, till the branches bear flowers, and are 

 nearly erect, spindle-shaped. The internodes are 

 narrow at each end, bilobed above w^hen dry, the 

 lower woody and slender, the upper being fleshy, 

 rather flattened. 



The flowering internodes are in long spikes, cylin- 

 drical, stalked, tapering and blunt. There are eight 

 to sixteen flowering internodes in a spike. The flowers, 

 three on each side, are unequal in size, the central one 

 reaching two-thirds the way up the internode or seg- 

 ment. There are two styles and a single stamen (if 

 two one is often rudimentary) and they are exserted in 

 succession. The fruiting perianth has a narrow wing 

 above. The seed is greenish with curled hairs, ovoid 

 or oblong. 



Samphire varies in height from six to eighteen 

 inches. It is in flower in August and September, 

 and is a herbaceous annual. 



Few flowers are less conspicuous, and they are 

 bisexual. No honey is secreted. The flowers are sunk 

 in deep pits, and must be self-pollinated, or if in water 

 possibly water-pollinated. Wind may play some part. 



The utricles fall in water, and are so dispersed. 



Marsh Samphire is called Crab-grass (Crabs are 



