870 CHE>OPODlACEAE (ciOOSEFOUi' FAMILY^ 



Seed vertical or horizontal, with a flat-spiral embryo, dividing the scanty albu 

 men (wlien there is any) into two portions. — P'leshy saline plants, with alternate 

 nearly terete linear leaves. (An Arabic name.) Dondia Adans. 



Leaves linear or sleuder-cylindric, not broadened at base ; plants of Atlantic coast. 



Seed '2 mm. broad , . , 1. S. mariUma. 



Seed 1.2—1.") mm. broad. 



Sepals rounded (not carinate) on the back 2. S. Richii. 



Sepals (or some of them) carinate on the back. 



1 or "2 sepals more cucullate-carinat3 than the others . . . . Z. S. americana . 



Sepals equally carinate 4. 6'. linea)-is. 



Leaves strongly dilated at base; plants of western plains 5. S. ciepressa. 



1. S. marltima (L.) Dumort. Comparatively low, 0.5-4 (rarely 5 or 6) dm. 

 high, ascending or depressed, subsimple or with spreading-ascending or decumbent 

 subsiraple branches, or even forming depressed mats ; leaves usually glaucous, 

 acntish, semicylindric (flat above, convex beneath), 5 cm. or less long ; those of 

 the flowering branches sliorter, and much exceeding the 1-4 axillary flowers ; 

 sepals pale green, rounded or obscurely keeled on the back ; seed red-brown or 

 black. (Dondia Druce.) — Common on salt marshes, e. Que. to Ct., and occa- 

 sionally southw. to La. Fr., June-Sept. (Eu.) 



2. S. Richii Fernald. Stems procumbent, forming mats 5 dm. or less across 

 (sometimes fruiting when 1 cm. long); leaves dark green, not glaucous, subcylin- 

 dric, dorsally compressed, obtuse^ the lower 1.5 cm. or less in length ; those of 

 the flowering branches broader and shorter (4-5 mm. long) ; seed black. — 

 Salt marshes and wet sand, coast of N. S. and Me. Fr. , July-Sept. 



3. S. americana (Pers.) Fernald. Stems procumbent, the branches 2 or 3 

 dm. long, only the abundant densely floicered spiciform ultimate branches as- 

 cending ; leaves linear, thickish (flat above), acute, the lower about 2 cm. long, 

 those subtending the crowded flowers broader and shorter ; sepals very irreg- 

 ular, 1 or 2 strongly keeled. (Salsola salsa, var. Pers.) — Salt marshes, lower 

 St. Lawrence R. to s. Me. Fr., late Sept. -Nov. — Mature plant purplish through- 

 out. 



4. S. linearis (Fll.) Moq. Erect or ascending, 2-9 dm. high, profusely 

 branched; the slendf-r branches ascending or wide-spread, not procumbent; 

 leaves narrowly linear, acuts, deep green, not glaucous, the lower 4 cm. or less 

 long, the upper similar but shorter ; sepals equally carinate. (Dondia americana 

 Britton, not Salsola salsa, var. americana Pers.) — Sandy coast, Me. to Tex. 

 Fr., Sept.-Nov. 



5. S. depr^ssa (Pursh) Wats. Decumbent or erect, branching from the 

 base ; leaves broadest at base, the cauline 1-4 cm. long, the floral lanceolate to 

 ovate ; one or more of the calyx-lobes very strongly carinate or crested. (Don- 

 dia Hritton.) — Saline soil, Man. and w. Minn, to Neb., and westw. across the 

 plains. 



10. SALSOLA L. Saltwort 



Flowers perfect, with 2 bractlets. Calyx 5-parted, its divisions at length 

 horizontally winged on the back, the wings forming a broad scarious border. 

 Stamens mostly 6. Styles 2. Seed horizontal, without albumen. — Herbs or 

 slightly shrubby branching plants with fleshy and rather terete or awl-shaped 

 leaves and se.s.sile axillary flowers. (Diminutive of salsus, salty, alluding to the 

 saline habitat of most of the species.) 



1. S. Kali L. (Common S.) Annual, diffusely branching, bushy, pubes- 

 cent (rarely glabrous) ; leaves all alternate, awl-shnped, stiffish, prickly-pointed ; 

 flowers single ; calyx with converging lobes forming a sort of beak over tlie fruit, 

 the yellowish to lead-colored wings nearly orbicular and spreading. — Sandy 

 sea-siiore, Nfd. to Oa., and saline places inland. Aug. (Eu.) Var. cakoi.in- 

 i\na (Walt.) Nutt. Glabrous throughout (rarely pubescent); the wings 

 larger, ro.seate. — Similar range. (Eu.) 



Var. TKNLiKoLiA G. F. W. Mey. (Ri'ssian Thistle.) Erect or ascending, 

 very bushy ; braces especially on the young and vegetative stems longer (3-7 cm. 



