320 CHENQPODIACEJE. [ATHIPLEX. 



SUB-GEN. 2. Obi'one, Gccrtn. (gen.). Annual or perennial. Flowers 

 monoecious or dicecious. Pericarp adherent to the cup-shaped perianth. 

 Testa coriaceous or crustaceous ; radicle superior. Haliimis, "Wallroth. 



4. A. portulacoi'des, L. ; shrubby, mealy, leaves obovate- or spathu- 

 late-lanceolate quite entire, perianth sessile compressed 2-4-lobed. 

 Muddy maritime cliffs and marshes, from Wigton and Northumberland south- 

 wards; S. and E. of Ireland, very rare ; fl. Aug. -Oct. Covered with minute 

 persistent greyish- white scales. Rootstock woody, branched. Stem 1-3 ft., 

 woody below, flexuous, decumbent ; branches 12-18 in., erect. Leavesl-3 in., 

 mostly opposite, rounded at the tip, narrowed into the petiole, upper linear. 

 Spikes in terminal interrupted panicles, leafy below. Fruiting perianth 

 \-^ in., cupular, lobes rounded, unequal. Seed chesnut, rough. DisTRlB. 

 Europe from Denmark southwards, N. Africa, W. Asia. 



5. A. pedunc-ola'ta, L. ; herbaceous, mealy, leaves narrowly obovate- 

 oblong quite entire, perianth pedicelled, lobes 2 recurved. 



Muddy maritime marshes, rare, from Lincoln to Kent ; fl. Aug.-Oct. Annual. 

 mealy like A . portulacoides. Stem 3-8 in., flexuous, slender, terete, simple 

 .or sparingly branched. Leaves -! in., rounded at the tip, shortly petioled. 

 Spikes terminal and reduced to axillary fascicles ; flowers subsessile, one 

 or few fruiting in each fascicle, when the pedicel elongates to J-in., 

 and is very spreading. Fruiting perianth in. diam., campanulate "with 

 2 lateral lobes and 2 intervening small teeth. Seed as in A. portxlai-niii.s. 

 --DisTRiB. Baltic from Gothland southwards, shores of France, Russia, 

 and Siberia. 



4. SALICOR'NIA, Tourmf. MARSH SAMPHIRE. 

 Annual or perennial leafless herbs. Stems cylindric, very succulent, 

 jointed ; branches opposite. Flowers 2-sexual, minute, 3 together sunk 

 in pits of the axis at the base of the internodes. Perianth turbinate, com- 

 pressed, fleshy, 3-4-lobed or truncate, mouth contracted. Stamens 1-2, 

 perigynous. Styles 2. Utricle compressed, included in the swollen peri- 

 anth. Seed vertical, testa membranous hairy, albumen scanty fleshy or 

 ; embryo conduplicate green, radicle inferior incumbent, cotyledons 

 ^-terete thick. DISTRIB. Salt districts, chiefly in temp, regions ; species 

 5-6. ETYM. sal and cornu, from the horn-like branches. 



1. S. herba'cea, L. ; root annual slender, stem ascending, branches 

 more or less fusiform, all flowering. 



Salt marshes ; fl. Aug. -Sept. Stem 6-18 in., J-J in. diam. .at the thickest 

 part, which is above the base ; internodes \ in., usually contracted above 

 and below, 2-lobed at the top when dry, lower woody slender, upper fleshy 

 slightly compressed ; branches spreading or ascending ; flowering iuternodes 

 in short spikes. Flower-bearing cavities 2 at each node, opposite. Stamen* 

 inserted at various heights, if 2 successively protruded. Styles exserted. 

 Fruiting perianth narrowly winged at the top. Seeds ovoid or oblong, 

 greenish, covered with curled hairs. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa. N. Asia, 

 W. Asia to India, N. America. Formerly burnt for Barilla, and sometimes 

 pickled. 



VAR. 1, herlta'cea proper; green, glaucous, ascending, branches suberect, 

 spikes many-flowered. VAR. 2, procum'lent, Sm. (sp.); red, decumbent, 

 branches cruciate, spikes few-flowered. VAR. 3, ramosis'slma, Woods ; grass- 



