172 WILD FLOWERS. 



coast as to be known by most who visit the 

 sea-side. The Itahans call it Erba Kali. It is 

 used in making glass and salted as a pickle. 



The samphire {Crithmum maritimum) is an 

 excellent pickle, but this flower grows only on 

 the southern coast of England. As it flourishes 

 on cliffs and walls near the sea, the gathering 

 of samphire is often a dangerous occupation. 

 Its flower is of a greenish white colour, and is 

 in bloom durino: August. 



Some of the little sandworts blossom now 

 by the sea-side. They are all much alike, 

 except one species, which is often called sea- 

 pimpernel, or sea sandwort, {Arenaria 'peploi- 

 des.) Large patches of this plant grow on 

 several parts of our coast. At Sheerness, in 

 Kent, it is very abundant. It has stems, a 

 few inches high, much branched and thickly 

 crowded with succulent leaves. It has small 

 white flowers, growing two or three in a cluster. 

 The whole plant is pretty from its shining 

 glossy appearance. 



The sea-side convolvulus, {Cahjstegia solda- 

 nella,) with its pretty rose-coloured bells, flowers 

 all the summer ; and a less showy but very 

 common plant, the sea-beet, (Beta maritima,) 

 with its green blooms and large root, is now 

 found near the sea. It has thick wavy green 

 leaves, which, when boiled, are a good vegetable. 

 It is very much like the beet of the garden, 

 {Beta vulgaris,) which is well known as a culi- 

 nary root, and as a pickle ; and which is so 

 often cut into the flowers used for ornamenting 



