138 THE WILD-FLOWERS OF SELBORNE 



distant from his home at Notley, where the great 

 naturalist found, among other notable plants, the broad- 

 leaved pepperwort, the golden samphire, and the deli- 

 cate sea-heath. In his day the sea scurvy-grass, " of 

 great use in the curing of scurvy," grew so plentifully 

 in the marshes about Maldon that the common people, 

 he tells us, " gather it and send it about to the markets 

 above ten miles distance, where it is sold by measure." 

 But, strange to say, one scarce and striking plant, which 

 to-day grows on the Essex shore, was overlooked both 

 by Gerarde and Ray. This is the shrubby sea-blite, 

 or Suceda fruticosa^ which the writer has found in 

 abundance at Maldon, St. Osyth, and in Mersea Isle. 

 In the last locality the plants were as large as gorse- 

 bushes, and could be seen for a considerable distance. 

 Ray, indeed, mentions the plant as growing in the Isle 

 of Portland, where it still flourishes on the pebble 

 beach ; but he is silent as to its existence in Essex. 

 It was found, however, a few years after his death by 

 his disciple, Samuel Dale ; and it is interesting to know 

 that a specimen gathered by him is preserved in the 

 South Kensington Museum, and labelled in Dale's 

 handwriting, " Western end of marsh bank, Harwich, 

 plentifully." 



The Isle of Mersea, situated at the junction of the 

 Colne and the Blackwater, is still linked to the main- 

 land by the old Roman causeway called the Strood, 

 which crosses Pyefleet Creek, and is covered by the 

 sea at high water. An additional interest is given 

 to this locality as being the scene of Baring-Gould's 

 powerful story Mehalah. Standing on the sea-bank 

 over against Mersea " city," as a cluster of old wooden 

 houses and an ancient inn are somewhat pretentiously 

 called, one can see in the distance the cluster of thorn- 



