ABSINTH 187 



inconspicuous, and owing to its maritime habitat not liable to be 

 visited by insects. The anthers mature first, and only when the 

 pollen is all shed does the stigma ripen. 



The fruits are flattened, and so more easily dispersed by the wind. 

 When ripe, being semi-detached, they are easily blown away. 



Samphire is a salt- lover which requires a saline soil. It is also a 

 sand plant and is addicted to a sand soil. 



The only insect which feeds upon this plant is Tnoza crithmi, a 

 Homopterous insect. As in the case of other seaside species fungi do 

 not attack it. 



Crithmum, Dioscorides, is the Greek name of the plant, which may- 

 be from the Greek critht\ barley, on account of the shape of the fruit, 

 and the second Latin name is in allusion to the habitat. 



The plant is called Camphire, Peter's Cress, Crestmarine, Sea 

 Fennel, Pasper, Pierce-stone, Sampere, Samphire, Rock Samphire, 

 Sampier, Semper, Rock Semper. 



Samphire was described by Gerard as yielding "the pleasantest 

 sauce, and best agreeing with man's body, for the digestion of meats". 

 It is liked by cattle. Samphire is used as a pickle and in salads, 

 and as a pot herb. It can be grown in the garden in beds of sand, 

 rubbish, or in pots, but should be supplied with barilla, as it is on the 

 coast, from the sea breezes containing salt, and the salt blown upon 

 it by the wind. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



127. Crithmum maritimnm, L. Stem short, fleshy, glabrous, 

 leaves glaucous, bi- or tri-pinnate, leaflets linear -lanceolate, flowers 

 small, white or yellow, in umbels, with short bracts, fruit green or 

 purple. 



Absinth (Artemisia Absinthium, L.) 



Absinth is not found in early deposits, but is confined at the 

 present day to the North Temperate Zone, in Europe, N. Africa, 

 X. and \V. Asia, the Himalayas, and North America. In Great 

 Britain it occurs in the Peninsula, Channel and Thames provinces, 

 except in Bucks, in Anglia and the Severn provinces, in Wales in 

 Glamorgan, Brecon, Carmarthen, Pembroke, Merioneth, Carnarvon, 

 Denbigh, Anglesea, in the Trent province, except in N. Lines, the 

 Mersey province, except in Mid Lanes, the H umber province, except 

 in S.E. Yorks, in the Tyne province generally and the Isle of Man; 

 in Scotland in Berwick, Haddington, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Fife, 

 W. Perth, Forfar, E. Ross, Orkney, and Shetland. It ascends, as a 



