450 STATICE. [CLASS V. order v. 



remains of old withered leaves. Scape erect, somewhat zig-zag, 

 rouiiil, branched from below the middle, its terminal branches angular, 

 furrowed, scattered over with small prominent glands, especially above, 

 and with several lanceolate membranous alternate scales below the 

 middle, and one at the base of each division. Leaves all radical, 

 somewhat leathery, of a glaucous green, small, reflexed, spatulate, 

 with the footstalk of variable length, though never very long, with a 

 mid-rib, slightly prominent on the under side, and terminating in a 

 short obtuse point below the apex, and besides this there are two 

 lateral parallel ribs, which extend to the middle or below the middle of 

 the leaf, and sometimes there are four of these short ribs, all of which 

 are pellucid when held between the eye and the light. Inflorescence 

 a branched coryml)ose panicle, of numerous crowded alternate erect 

 flowers, all turned to the upper side. FUncers mostly two together, 

 sessile, surrounded at the base with several ovate scales, the outer ones 

 green, leafy, with a pale membranous margin, the inner entire, mem- 

 branous, sometimes jagged at the apex and sides. Corolla of five 

 roundish ovate purplish blue petals, attenuated at the base into a 

 narrow claw, t'ahjx funnel-shaped, with a long tube, of a reddish 

 green colour, with five prominent ribs, tapering to about the middle of 

 the pale membranous limb, and at the base are five others, intermediate 

 shorter than the tube, smooth or fringed, with pale hairs pointed 

 upwards, the limb about as long as the tube, pale, thin, membranous, 

 with five roundish obtuse or emarginated segments. Stamens with 

 slender di\\'\-?\\VL\>e(S. filaments, shorter than the petals, and ovale white 

 anthers. " Pollen with four or five pellucid dots, compressed. Germen 

 smooth." Styles long, slender, filiform. " Stupnas covered with a 

 reticulation of vesicles, not prominent, much larger than the papilhe of 

 S. Lirnonium." Capsule ovate, enveloped in the persistent calyx. 

 Seed solitary. 



Habitat.— Sea. shores, and amongst roclt near the sea. Coast of 

 Kent in several places.' — Gerard and liev. G. E. Smith. Shakspeare 

 Clifl", Dover.— .S'/r W. J. Hooker. W&xwich.— Ray. Mull of Gal- 

 loway, Scotland.— il/r. Goldie. Rocks near Holyhead, and St. Bee's 

 Head, near Whitehaven. — Mr. W. Wilson. Several places in North 

 Wales.— Dr. Honilt, who furnished me with beautiful specimens. 

 Devon.— Mr. Banks. Somerset.— il/r. Christy. Near Baldoyle, 

 Portmarnock, South side of the hill of Howtli, Killiney-hill, and 

 many other places on the Kerry coast, Ireland. — Mr. Mackey. >s'orlh 

 of Ireland. — 3lr. Drummond. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



The lower branches, both in this species and S. Limonium, are 

 sometimes barren. Small plants with the lower branches barren have 

 generally been mistaken for the following species; they are, however, 

 readily distinguished from each other upon careful examination. 



4. S. reticulata, Linn. (Fig. 513.) Matted Thrift. Scape round, 



