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between the pebbles; whilst the corn sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis) 
forms a golden fringe along the water’s edge, interspersed here and there 
with the sea-rocket (Cakile maritima) and the prickly saltwort (Salsola 
Kali), both of which are plentiful. The sea-rocket is a hardy plant, 
and is sometimes seen in full bloom on this coast in the beginning of 
January, and is then certainly one of the most beautiful of our wild 
flowers. The sea-feverfew (Pyrethrum maritimum) and the common 
knot-grass (Polygonum aviculare) are amongst the plants growing 
near the water’s edge; whilst higher up the bank, and almost to its 
summit, there is a profusion of the sea-campion (Silene maritima) 
and Glaucium luteum. That very rare plant, Glaucium pheeniceum, 
said to have been formerly found in Portland, is now no doubt 
extinct. . 
The chief attraction, however, of this part of the. beach is the rare 
and beantiful sea-side everlasting pea (Lathyrus maritimus). It does 
net grow close down to the water, but prefers the loose pebbles of the 
higher parts of the bank, where it may be seen in large patches along 
the beach almost from the bridge to the village of Fleet; shortly after 
which it disappears for several miles, but again becomes abundant 
near Abbotsbury. This is the sea-pea of which Gerarde gives an 
amusing account in his ‘Herbal.’ He says :—“ I finde mention in 
Stowe’s Chronicle, in anno 1585, of a certain Pulse or Pease, as they 
term it, wherewith the poore people at that time, there being a great 
dearth, were miraculously helped: he thus mentions it; in the 
moneth of August (saith he) in Suffolke, at a place by the sea-side all 
of hard stone and pibbie, called in those parts a shelfe, lying 
betweene the townes of Oxford and Aldborough, where neither grew 
grasse, nor any earth was ever seene: it chanced in this barren place 
suddenly to spring up without any tillage or sowing, groat aboundance 
of Peason, whereof the poore gathered (as men judged) above an hun- 
dred quarters, yet remained some ripe and some blossoming as many 
as ever there were before: to the which place rode the Bishop of 
Norfolk, and the Lord Willoughby with others in great number, who 
found nothing but hard rockie stone the space of three yards under 
the roots of these Peason: which roots were great and long and very 
sweet.” Tle also adds, “My Worshipful] friend Dr. Argent hath 
told me, that many yeares ago he was in this place, and caused his 
man to pell away the beach with his hands, and follow the roots so 
Jong untill hee got some equall in length unto his height, yet could 
come to vo ends of them.” 
The sea-radish (Raphanus maritimus) has been found sparingly on 
