176 THE FLORA OF NEW BRIGHTON. [June, 



above article, the plant was brought to my recollection, and I 

 now avail myself of the opportunity to state an opinion that has 

 long since been formed, regarding the plant as a true species, and 

 not distinct specifically from ErythrcBa Centaurium. 



If, in my opinion, the Erythroia pulchella, E. latifolia, and 

 E. linariafolia, were joined to the E. Centaurium, and con- 

 sidered as true varieties merely, it would be a great acquisition 

 to the Flora, an d« would not be half so perplexing to the young 

 student as it is at present, to judge between so nearly allied 

 species ; for instance, the specific characters of the E. Centau- 

 riuru, are : — Roots fibrous ; stems nearly simple ; leaves ovate- 

 oblong; flowers nearly sessile, fasciculate ; calyx 5 -cleft; corolla 

 infundibuliforra, its limb short; anthers at length spirally 

 twisted ; style one, deciduous ; stigmas two ; capsules linear, 2- 

 celled. 



Var. a. pulchella [Chironia pulchella) : a short, tufted plant, 

 stems much branched ; plentiful at Southport. 



Var. b. latifolia : flowers in dense forked tufts. 



Var. c. linariafolia [Chironia littoralis) : flowers sessile, one or 

 two at the toj) of each stalk ; leaves, lower ones spathulate, 

 upper linear, obtuse. 



It will at once be seen, by the drawings of the two plants, what 

 little difference there is between them, as well as the above de- 

 scriptions. The drawing is from Nature. Both plants were found 

 at New Brighton, — linarmfolia on the rocks, the Centaurium 

 more inland. 



Besides the above-mentioned plants, I found others worthy of 

 notice, one in particular, the Salsola Kali, which seems to flourish 

 upon the sand-hills, far from any water, and when gathered 

 seems as fresh as if found under water, for when squozen (crushed) 

 it emits a great quantity of greenish juice. Plantago Coronopus 

 and Rosa spinosissima are both in tolerable abundance, besides 

 a few roots of Sagina nodosa and Malva moschata, the large 

 purple petals of the latter contrasting strongly with the small 

 white ones of the other. Chlora perfoliata and Menyanthes tri- 

 foliata are both found at Bidston Marsh. Next to that, Gera- 

 niacece, in which I may enumerate, amount others, Geranium 

 molle, G. dissectum, G. pusillum, and Erodium cicutarium ; the 

 last-mentioned is abundant on the sand-hills. 



There are also Cakile ma7'itima, Spergularia marina, Ononis 



