210 



cess is continued from year to year, the old stems of one year becom- 

 ing the rhizomes of the next, and these successively dying away as 

 new rhizomes are formed, thus producing a very rambling and diffuse 

 plant. In the preceding forms, every branch and subdivision is ter- 

 minated by a spike of flowers. In S. radicans many are barren. The 

 spikes, when they occur, are sometimes interrupted, half an inch to 

 an inch long, and composed of about six joints. The colour is a dull 

 greyish green, with the ends of the spikes brownish, but never red. 

 Though much less abundant than the first, second, and fourth forms, 

 it is by no means rare in the muddy creeks of Sussex and Hants. 



The last form mentioned, under the name S. lignosa, bears some 

 resemblance in its diffuse mode of growth to S. radicans, and Mr. 

 Woods found some indications of radical fibres from the lower part of 

 the stem, but was unable to ascertain positively the existence of a 

 creeping rhizome. It differs however from S. radicans in the thick- 

 ness, and firm solid structure of the lower part of the stem, which as 

 in every European species is destitute of annual rings, and attains its 

 thickness and hardness in the course of one year. From S. fruticosa, 

 i., to which it appi'oaches nearly in many respects, it is distinguished 

 by the multitude of its slender branches, and probably also by the 

 structure of its seed, which Koch and Bertoloni describe as tubercled 

 and not hairy in S. fruticosa. The spikes of our English plant are an 

 inch or a little more in length, and about six times their width : those 

 of the true S. fruticosa are usually both absolutely and relatively 

 longer. 



Mr. Woods next makes some observations on the synonymy of the 

 Salicornias described by Ray, who appears originally to have admitted 

 but two species ; the first including all the forms of S. herbacea and 

 also S. procumbens ; the second attributed by Smith to S. fruticosa, 

 L., but now generally regarded as S. radicans. To these Dillenius 

 adds three others, of which the first, S. myosuroides procumbens, &c., 

 is considered by Mr. Woods as S. radicans ; the second, S. ramosior 

 procumbens, &c., as probably S. procumbens, Sm. ; and the third, S. 

 erecta foliis brevibus cupressiforrais, he refers with some doubt to his 

 S. intermedia. 



Then follow some remarks on the characters of Arthrocnemum, a 

 genus separated by M. Moquin-Tandon from Salicornia, principally 

 on account of the different form of its embryo, and to which he refers 

 S. fruticosa and S. radicans. In all specimens of S. radicans, and in 

 some of what is called S. fruticosa, Mr. Woods finds the seeds appa- 

 rently destitute of albumen, and with the radicle lying against the 



