British and European Plants. 467 



from that plant by having its anthers awned, and by other less marked cha- 

 racters. 



Gathered by me on Craigha Moira, Connamara, Ireland, in August 1835, 

 where it covers several acres of rocky ground : my attention was directed to it 

 as perhaps a new British heath by Mr. William MacCalla of Roundstone. 1 

 name it, in accordance with a suggestion of Dr. Hooker's, in honour of 

 Mr. J. T. Mackay, the eminent botanist to whom we owe the discovery of 

 E. mediterranea in Ireland. 



There appears to be some doubt as to the specific distinctness of this plant, 

 several of our best botanists (who have not seen it in its native locality,) being of 

 opinion that it is only a very marked variety of E. TetruUx. I cannot, however, 

 concur in that idea, as I noticed no intermediate states, although the latter was 

 growing in the greatest luxuriance within a few yards of E. Mackaiana. I may 

 also remark that E. Tetralix gradually dwindled in proportion to the diyness 

 of the soil ; and that E. Mackaiana did the same when, leaving the rock, it 

 encroached upon the bog by which it was surrounded, and on which its ally 

 was remarkably flourishing ; neither of them changing at all in character, but 

 only in size and luxuriance. ^2 ■ August, September. 



9. Polygonum maritimum. Linn. 

 Caule procumbente basi sublignoso, ochreis 2-partitis lanceolatis demiim 



laceris ramoso-nervatis, foliis lanceolatis subcarnosis, floribus axillaribus, 



cariopside Isevissima perianthio longiore. 

 P. maritimum. Linn. Sp. PL 519. JVilld. Sp. PI. ii. 449. Spreng. Syst. ii. 



256. Pers. Syn. i. 439. DeCand. Fl. Fr. iii. 368. ; Bot. Gall. i. 405. Gussone, 



Prodr. Fl. Sicul. i. 469. Meisner, Man. Polyg. Prodr. 89. 



Root woody, as well as the lower part of the stem, which is branched, round, 

 striated, with numerous joints ; leaves alternate, lanceolate, generally 

 acute, their margin revolute, coriaceous, longer than the internodes ; 

 stipules membranous, bipartite, at length torn so as to appear fringed, 

 about equal to the internodes, with numerous ribs, which are branched 

 at their base ; flowers axillary, 2 or 3 together, double the size of those 

 of P. aviculare ; sepals 4 or 5, white, broadly marked with green in the 

 middle ; stamens 7 or 8, the 3 inner filaments very broad at their base ; 



