221 
the beach is the abundance of Schoberia fruticosa. It grows to a 
considerable size, and many of the stems exceed three inches in cir- 
cumference. This plant, with the various species of sea-purslanes, 
constitute by far the greater part of the vegetation for several miles. 
Of the sea-purslanes the shrubby orache (Afriplex portulaccides) is 
the most abundant; the spreading halbert-shaped orache (A. patula) 
and the spreading narrow-leaved orache (A. angustifolia) are both 
common ; the grass-leaved sea-orache (A. dittoralis) occurs much less 
frequently. Triticum junceum is not uncommon, nor are several 
other plants that we should scarcely have expected to find on such a 
beach as this, the seeds of which, however, appear to have found their 
way from the land on the opposite side of the Fleet. Such are the 
bramble, and the docks which crown the higher ridges of the beach, 
and here and there a dwarf willow, sheltering beneath its branches a | 
stunted plant or two of the hemlock (Contum maculatum) and the 
rough chervil (Cherophyllum temulentum). The sea-pea, which we 
had not observed for the Jast mile or two, now grows more luxuri- 
antly than ever, covering the side of the beach a great part of the way 
to Abbotsbury. Atriplex littoralis, also, occurs more frequently. 
We have now reached the Swannery, and are opposite Abbotsbury ; 
the Fleet suddenly contracts, and we soon reach its narrowest part; 
and at length it terminates in a broad morass or salt-marsh, where we 
recognise a mixture of the meadow with the sea-shore plants, such as 
the comfrey, the reeds and sedges. Plantago maritima occurs se 
plentifully that it forms the principal herbage of one of the adjoining 
fields. | 
In conclusion, it may be remarked that we have found no traces on 
the Chesil Bank of Vicia laevigata, discovered by Mr. Hudson on the 
beach at Lodmoor, near Weymouth, and said to have been found 
among the shingles on the Chesil Bank, and in Portland by Sir I. 
Cullum ; nor have repeated searches on the beach at Lodmoor of late 
years been more successful. These were the only stations recorded 
for this species in the whole world ; and there seems now little doubt 
of its being extinct. 
W. B. Barrett. 
Weymouth, October, 1856. 
