590 



triangular, as distinguished from ovato-hastate, with two horizontally 

 spreading lobes ; the middle leaves have two ascending lobes from a 

 wedge-shaped base, a form extremely common in Atriplex, but not 

 described in A. patula: the upper leaves are lanceolate in both. Ba- 

 bington suspects it may be a maritime form of patula. Moquin-Tan- 

 don refers it to a variety of his A. hastata corresponding with the A. 

 triangularis of Willdenow. Koch considers Babington's plant as a form 

 of A. latifolia, which is his name for the A. patula of Smith. Koch 

 quotes also A. oppositifotia of DC, but thinks the prostrata of the 

 ' Flore Francaise ' a different plant. Yet Duby quotes the Fl. Fr. for 

 the prostrata of Bouchier, the author from whom Babington has 

 adopted the species. Although Babington suspects it to be a form 

 of patula, he describes the seeds as smooth and shining. 



Next comes the patula of Smith, which Babington agrees with that 

 author in considering to be the patula of Linnaeus also, both I believe 

 relying on the herbarium. I confess however that the description of 

 the leaves, " stib-deltoideo-lanceolate," agrees better with those of 

 angustifolia. The A. hastata of Linnaeus has been brought back by 

 Moquin-Tandon in the ' Prodromus ' to this plant, and he adopts the 

 name calotheca to the species which has of late years been considered 

 as the A. hastata of Linnaeus. I am disposed to think that he is 

 right. The seeds here are described as rough and opaque. The 

 lower seeds are indeed finely granulate, but not asper nor hardly sca- 

 ber. I have never met with dull seeds in this or any other Atriplex, 

 but this granulate surface has the effect of producing a degree of 

 comparative dulness. 



We next have microsperma of W. & K. This species Koch refers 

 with the preceding to his latifolia, from which it is distinguished by 

 its smooth and shining seeds, and by the smaller size of the calyx of 

 the fruit ; according to Babington the leaves are denticulate, but he 

 says this also of patula. The form of the sepals varies too much to 

 enable us to depend upon a difference between triangular, rhomboid 

 and ovato -triangular, and what I have already said of the seeds is 

 sufficient to show that a character drawn from them must be received 

 with caution. I am willing to admit as three common species, an- 

 gustifolia, with rhomboid leaves, and all the seeds black and smooth ; 

 patula, with triangular leaves, and all, or nearly all of the seeds de- 

 pressed and wrinkled ; and deltoidea, with triangular leaves, and all, 

 or nearly all the seeds thick, black and smooth. With microsperma 

 I am unacquainted. 



Next is rosea, and it is here that I am most completely at issue 



