287 



naling in a wand-like, interrupted, siihsimple spike of distant few-flowered clusters. 

 Leaves lanceolate, entire; lower ones hastate, the lobes ascending from a wedge- 

 shaped base, all shortly stalked. Enlarged calyx-valves rhomboidal, acute, entire; 

 lateral angles acute, prominent, ascending, without tubercles on the back, reticu- 

 lated, rather longer than the smooth, shining, black seeds. " S7n. Eng. Fl. iv. 258 ; 

 Wallr. Sched. Crit. 116 ; Eng. Bot. 1774 ; DC. Fl. Fr. v. 371. A. patula, Htuls. 443 ; 

 With. Arr. ii. 275 ; Wahl. 660." 



Common on waste and cultivated land. Annual. July to October. 



" In its normal state the whole of this plant is slender and delicate, the leaves thin, 

 and the calyx of the fruit small, but sometimes the stems and leaves become thicken- 

 ed and veiy fleshy, and the calyces exceedingly enlarged (I have seen them an inch in 

 length, and broad in propoi-tion) and even tubercled. In this monstrous form the fruit 

 is usually transformed into leaves, and no seed is produced. Vaiious intennediate states 

 occur, and often only a few of the calyces become monstrous, whilst the rest of the 

 plant retains the normal appearance." — p. 7. 



4. Atriplex erecta, Huds. Stem most frequently erect, sometimes weak and pros- 

 trate, quadrangular, striated, often reddish, 12 or 18 inches high ; branches mostly 

 opposite, simple, ascending. Leaves mostly opposite ; lower leaves ovate-oblong, wedge- 

 shaped at the base, with ascending lobes, irregularly dentate, sinuato-dentate or inci- 

 so-dentate ; upper leaves lanceolate or nearly linear, entire ; all pale green above, mealy 

 beneath. Spikes many-flowered, terminal and axillary, shortly branched ; flowers in 

 small, round, dense clusters, usually so close as to appear continuous on the spike, in 

 which respect this plant difi"ers from Atr. angustifolia. Enlarged calyx-valves rhom- 

 boidal, acute, toothed above the lateral angles, which are acute, sometimes prominent ; 

 valves more or less muricated on the back, scarcely longer than the seed, densely cloth- 

 ed with minute, pellucid, crystalline glands, which dry into a mealy coat. Seed black, 

 smooth, shining, half the size of that of Atr. patula. " Htuls. FL Ang. (ed. 1) 376; 

 Sm. Eng. Bot. 2223 ! Eng. Fl. iv. 259 ; DC. Fl. Fr. v. 371 ; Bah. Prim. 82 ; Fl. Balh. 

 Suppl. 88. A. angustifolia, Drej. Fl. Hafn. 106." 



Common on cultivated land throughout England. Annual, July 

 to October. 



It is probable that this plant is frequently confounded with Atr. an- 

 gustifolia, which Mr. Babington says it sometimes resembles in the 

 lower leaves being without teeth and the spikes being interrupted, but 

 from that species " it is still clearly distinguishable by its compound 

 spike, calyx-valves and leaves." He also observes : — 



" Our plant is certainly the Atr. erecta of Hudson and Smith, of which the only 

 authentic specimen, preserved in Sir J. E. Smith's herbarium, is apparently only the 

 upper part of a very luxuriant plant ; in it the calyx of the fruit is much more spin- 

 ous than is usually the case, and the panicle larger and more dense." — p. 8. 



5. Atriplex prostrata, " Bouch." Stem prostrate, quadrangular, somewhat striated, 

 much branched, branches prostrate. Leaves nearly opposite, fleshy, hastate-triangu- 

 lar, entire or with few teeth, lateral lobes horizontal or slightly descending, the base 



