PLANTS OF SALT-MARSHES. 275 



others of the plants of salt-marshes have a similar fancy 

 for mountain air, particularly two kinds of Plantain 

 (Plantago maritima and P. coronopus) ; and the chief 

 difference which climate makes upon them is, that the 

 leaves in the shore-grown plants are more succulent and 

 contain a greater quan- 

 tity of soda. One of the 

 most characteristic plants 

 of salt ground is the 

 jointed Glass- wort (Sali- 

 cornia herbacea), a small 

 herb with fleshy stems, 

 divided into joints, with 

 minute flowers concealed 

 in the axils of the scale- 

 like leaves. This plant, 

 like Samphire, is some- 

 times gathered for pick- 

 ling ; but it is rather an 

 old-fashioned pickle, not 

 often seen, even in coun- 

 try places. In the south 

 of Europe, several others 

 of the genus grow in 

 great profusion, and are 

 largely collected and burned for the sake of the soda 

 contained in their ashes. The Scdicornia belongs to the 

 same family as the common weed called Goose-foot 

 (Chenopodium) ; and others of its kind are natives of 

 the coast; such as the various kinds of Orache (Atri- 

 plex), some of which are shrubby and not unornamental, 



