44 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



subtriincate at the base, acute, with 2 or 3 setaceous teeth on each 

 side about the iniddle, reticuhited, each Avitli an oblong-ovoid tubercle; 

 teeth bristle-like, shorter than the length of the petal. Sepals as long 

 as the tubercle. Nut broadest towards the base. 



In wet places. Rare, but widely distributed throughout England. 

 Not known certainly to occur in Scotland, though said to have been 

 found near Dunbar. In Ireland it is not kno^vn to occur. 



England. Biennial. Late Summer, Autumn. 



Very like R. maritimus, with which Mr. Bcntham joins it, but it is a 

 larger plant, with the stems often 2 or 3 feet high, often more or less 

 decumbent, and always branched, with the branches curving inwards. 

 Leaves not distinguishable from those of R. maritimus; for though 

 usually larger and more abrupt at the base, the same series of forms 

 occurs in each. The whorls have usually fewer flowers, and are more 

 distant than in R. maritimus, but sometimes they are confluent as in 

 that species. The fruit petals ai'e i inch long, yellowish-olive, broader 

 at the base, and so more triangular; the tubercles yellowish- white, 

 sometimes more or less tinged with red, about half the length of the 

 sepal, much larger and broader in proportion than in R. maritimus; the 

 teeth are broader at the base and much shorter, and the sepals are 

 much longer. The nut is rather more than \ inch long, darker in 

 colour, broadest near the base, and acuminated at the apex, so that 

 its faces are ovate. 



R. limosus, Thuillier, is commonly referred to R. palustris, but it is 

 possible that it is made up of forms of R. maritimus with distant 

 whorls, as well as of states of R. palustris. The form of the base of 

 the leaves is too variable to found even a variety upon. 



The plate in Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 1932, is draAvn partly from R. 

 pratensis, but the dissections belong to the true R. palustris. 



Yellow Marsh Dock. 



SPECIES v.— R UMEX PULCHER. Lhm. 

 Plate MCCXFV. 

 T/dloi, Fl. Gall, ct Germ. Exsicc. No. 310G. 



Leaves thin, the radical ones broadly oblong or ovate-oblong, panduri- 

 form, subcordatc or cordate at the base, obtuse, crenate and slightly un- 

 dulated at the edges ; lower stem leaves similar, but narrower and on 

 shorter stalks ; leaves at the base of the whorls lanceolate or elliptical ; 

 the upper ones strapshaped and subsessile. Branches of the panicle 

 divaricate, leafy nearly to the apex. Pedicels shorter than the fruit 

 petals, articulated below the middle, spreading half-way round the 

 stem. Flowers perfect. Enlarged petals in fruit oblong-triangular, 



