526 RUMEX. CCLASS VI. ORDER III. 



Others seldom more than slightly enlarged. Nuts acutely triangular, 

 smooth, shining, of a dark brown colour. 



Habitat. — Marshy places. Sussex, Essex, about London, Lincoln- 

 shire, and probably not unfrequent in other places. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This is distinguished from the last species by its triangular not oblong 

 point of the enlarged pieces of the perianth ; its teeth at the base are 

 mostly shorter than in R. ohtusifoliusj and the leaves are larger, 

 broader, and rougher beneath. From R. crispus it is known by its 

 triangular distinctly toothed perianth, its larger leaves; in habit it 

 is nearly allied to R. nemolapthum, but it is a much larger stouter 

 plant, and is readily distinguished by the shape of the perianth, as it 

 is also from R. sanguineus. We find it frequent in damp often shady 

 places in various parts of Italy ; but it is not, that we are aware of, 

 applied to any particular purpose. 



IL R. marit'imvs, Linn. (Fig. 602.) Golden Dock. Enlarged 

 pieces of the perianth ovate, triangular, with a narrow linear point, 

 and two or three brislle-shaped teeth on the margin, as long as itself, 

 each bearing a narrow oblong tubercle ; whorls dense, many flowered, 

 leafy; leaves linear, lanceolate. 



English Botany, t. 725.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 193.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 173. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 219. 



Root of numerous whorls of long branched fibres. Stem angular, 

 furrowed, roughish, from one to two feet high, rather slender, erect, 

 straight, or more generally zigzag, alternately branched, frequently 

 from the base of a tawny red colour, the branches simple or divided, 

 crowded with the dense whorls of very numerous flowers, each accom- 

 panied with a small narrow linear lanceolate leaf, on a tapering foot- 

 stalk. Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, tapering into a footstalk, 

 spreading, smooth, orange green, with an entire or slightly waved 

 margin, the lower leaves larger than the upper, sometimes ovate at the 

 base. Perianth of six pieces, the three outer narrow, linear, thick, 

 very small, the three inner enlarged ones ovate, triangular, with a 

 narrow linear-lanceolate entire point, or almost ligulate, the margins 

 on each side with two or three, rarely four, spreading bristle-shaped 

 teeth, as long as the whole perianth, each one bearing an oblong 

 narrow fleshy tubercle, the peduncle is slender, thickened upwards, and 

 jointed near the base. Nuts very small, ovate, triangular, acutely 

 pointed at each end, acutely triangular, smooth, yellowish brown. 



Habitat. — Marshes; most frequent near the sea. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



This species, remarkable for the rich almost orange colour of the 

 whole plant, and especially the very dense whorls of flowers, is readily 

 distinguished from the following by the segments of the perianth, with 

 their long bristle-shaped teeth, and the flowers and tubercles are much 



