68 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



not uncommon, but I have .specimens only from Kent, Essex, and 

 Yorkshire. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Late Summer, Autumn. 



Stem with very numerous long straggling branches spreading in a 

 circle; internodes rather long, except at the apex of the branches. 

 Leaves ?, to 1 inch long, thicker and more fleshy than in any of the 

 preceding forms, not spreading; those in the axils of which flowers 

 are produced short, rarely above ^ inch long. Perianth ^ inch long, 

 more or less tinged with bright crimson. Nut less deeply sculptured, 

 and more shining than in any of the preceding forms. 



This plant resembles P. Kaii, but the nut is considerably shorter, 

 and not smooth and shining as in that species. I believe that it may 

 prove distinct as a subspecies from the other forms of P. aviculare. 



SPECIES v.— P OLYGONUM RAIL Bah. 



Plate MCCXXXII. 



P. Httorale, Greyi. & Godr. Fl. do Fr. Vol. III. p. 51. 



P. Robeiiii (Loisel, ex parte), Hoolc. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. vi. p. 854. 



P. maritimum, var. Bentli. Handbk. Brit. Fl. ed. ii. p. 398. 



Annual or biennial. Stem herbaceous, prostrate, usually branched. 

 Leaves shortly stalked or the upper ones sessile, rather thin, flat 

 when full-grown, but with the margins reflexed when young, oval- 

 or oblong-elliptical or strapshaped-elliptical, entire, attenuated at the 

 base, acute or subacute, with the nerves distinctly raised beneath. 

 Ochrese brown at the base, with about 6 thin simple nerves, silvery 

 white and at length laciniate at the apex. Flowers in lateral fascicles 

 of 2 to 6, or rarely solitary, combined into terminal simple interrupted 

 spikelike racemes leafy throughout ; the lower fascicles so far separated 

 that they scarcely form part of the spike. Pedicels erect or slightly 

 recurved, about as long as the nut, articulated immediately below the 

 base of the perianth. Perianth coloured or subherbaceous, scarcely 

 enlarged in fruit, attenuated at the base ; segments with a prominent 

 dorsal nerve. Stamens 8. Styles 3, very short, free. Nut about 

 half as long again as the perianth, ovate-triquetous, smooth or nearly 

 smooth, chestnut or pale chestnut. Plant not glandular. 



On sandy seashores. Rather rare, though generally distributed 

 round the south and west coasts of England, and the south-west of 

 Scotland, extending nopth to Argylcsliire. Rare on the east coast, 

 where, however, it has occurred in Kent, Norfolk, Lincoln, Hadding- 

 ton, Fife, and probably Forfar. It has been reported from Shetland, 



