1 1 6 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



firr.angccl in interrupted stalked axillary spikes. Female flowers stalked, 

 in few-flowered axillary clusters, rarely intermingled with male flowers. 

 Capsule small, didymous, roughened with large pointed tubercles 

 terminated by bristly hairs; tubercles largest on each side of the 

 central line of each coccum towards its apex. Seeds ovoid, slightly 

 sliming, reticulated-sliagreened. Leaves green, glabrous. 



Var. a, genuina. 



Plate MCCLXIX. 



Mcicli. Ic. Fl. Gorra. et Helv. Vol. V. Tab. CLI. Fig. 4801. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 70. 



M. annua, Linn. fit. Tteich. Fl. Germ. Excurs. p. 764, and Ic. 1. c. p. 9. Gren. & Oodr. 

 Fl. de Fr. Vol. III. p. 99. 



Flowers dioBcious, 



Var. 0, amhigua. 



Plate MCCLXX. 



Eeich. Ic. Fl. Gcnn. et Helv. Vol. V. Tab. CLI. Fig. 4802. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 642. 



M. ambigua, Idnn. fil. Reich. Fl. Germ. Excurs, p. 764, and Ic. 1. c. p. 9. Bab. in 

 E.B.8. No. 2816. 



Flowers monoecious, m other respects undistinguishable from the 

 female plant of var. a. 



In gardens, cultivated fields, and by roadsides, chiefly about towns 

 and villages. Local, but generally distributed over the south of 

 England; rare in the north, and very scarce in Scotland, where it 

 occurs near Tranent, East Lothian; Burntisland, Fife; and Aberfoyle, 

 Perthshire. Very local in L'eland, and confined to the south and east 

 of the island. Var. 3 is chiefly found along the south coast. 



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



Stem 6 to 20 inches high, usually (especially in the female plant) 

 with numerous opposite branches, the internodes not longer towards 

 the base of the stem than in the middle, all of them with prominent 

 lines from between the stipules of one pair of leaves to the axils of those 

 immediately below them. Leaves in the male plants ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, rarely lanceolate ; of the female commonly lanceolate and 

 much darker in colour ; in both cases rounded or sometimes subcordate 

 at the base, acuminate at the apex, serrate or crenate-serrate ; the 

 petioles of the upper leaves rather shorter than the width of the lamina, 

 those of the upper much shorter. Male flowers in interrupted stalked 

 spikes, like those of M. perennis : the female plant with axillary fascicles 

 of shortly stalked flowers. Styles diverging, not recurved. Capsule 



