52 SEA-SIDE PLANTS. 



strong, stiff stem, and broader leaves. This species 

 is very frequent in the Outer Hebrides, where it 

 is gathered for the purpose of being infused in 

 spirits as a bitter. These three plants, as well as 

 the common Centaury of our inland pastures, are 

 thought by some writers to be all of one species, 

 varied only, in some slight particulars, by the cir- 

 cumstances of soil and situation, which reminds us 

 of a celebrated botanist, who had written some 

 valuable papers on the rose, and who, on being 

 asked how many species there were, is said to have 

 replied, somewhat drily, "I really cannot say, but 

 I am sure there is one." 



The Gentian is nearly allied to the Centaury, by 

 its intensely bitter principle, and until later years 

 the centauries were called gentians. Our true 

 British gentians have all, however, deep blue or 

 purple flowers. The field Gentian ( Gentiana cam- 

 pestris] is a beautiful purplish-blue flower, with 

 many blossoms, common in chalk or limestone soils, 

 and frequent in Scotland near the sea. This is one 

 of the plants used in Sweden instead of hops. 



A little flower called the Sea Heath (Frankenia 

 l&vis), with slender, crowded leaves, wiry stems, 

 and pale rose-coloured blossoms, is sometimes found 

 on the salt marshes on the eastern coast, chiefly, of 

 England. It is not a common plant of our shores, 

 though it is so on many maritime places of Europe, 

 and on the Canary Isles it is very plentiful. 

 It is sometimes white. It is but an humble plant, 

 and so too is the powdery Sea Heath (Frankenia 

 pulverulenta), which is very seldom seen here, though 

 it has been found by botanists on the coast of Eng- 

 land. This little flower grows plentifully by the 

 sea, in many parts of Europe and Asia. This genus 



