CLASS XXII, ORDER 1 | ATRIPLEX. 1299 
naked, and sometimes slightly branched spikes. Perianth of the 
fruit triangular, heart-shaped, ribbed, mealy and entire, or toothed 
on the margin, a little longer than the dark brown compressed seed. 
Rlabitat. —Sea coast, rare? Helensburg, Scotland, where we found 
it abundant. 
Annual; flowering in July and August. 
This is a remarkable plant, from the character of its leaves, the 
shape of the perianth, and the mode of its inflorescence. It spreads 
its branches close to the surface of the soil, and is often so much 
branched at the base as to appear almost tufted. Its branches are 
sometimes eighteen inches long, but mostly not more than four to 
six and eight. 
3. A. patu'la, Linn. (Fig. 1559.) Spreading hulbert-leaved Orache. 
Stem mostly erect, with ascending branches; leaves green, smooth, 
the lower ones ovate, hastate, with two horizontally spreading lobes, 
irregularly toothed, the upper ones lanceolate, nearly entire ; flowers 
in interrupted spikes; the perianth of the fruit triangular, rhom- 
boidal, nearly entire, slightly muricated at the back, longer than the 
seeds which are opaque and roughish. 
English Botany, t. 986.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 257—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4 vol.i. p. 379.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 217. 
Root fibrous. Stem mostly erect, with long spreading or ascending 
branches, of a dark green or sometimes a reddish colour. Leaves 
numerous, dark green, occasionally mealy at the back, on rather long 
footstalks, alternate or opposite, the lower ones ovate, hastate, having 
two acute horizontally spreading lobes at the base, and more or less 
toothed, with unequal sharp scattered teeth, the upper ones lanceolate 
or linear, entire, or slightly toothed. Inflorescence terminal and 
axillary interrupted crowded naked spikes, with the flowers in unequal 
clusters. Perianth of the fruit enlarged, triangular, rhomboidal, 
entire or toothed on the margin, especially towards the base on each 
side, and muricated at the back, longer than the roundish compressed 
opaque seeds. 
Habitat.—Cultivated and waste ground ; common. 
Annual; flowering in July. 
This is a very common and variable species, especially in the size of 
the perianth of the fruit, and in its being entire or toothed more or 
less deeply, as wellas being smooth or muricated at the back, and the 
leaves being entire, toothed, or the lobes at the base larger or smaller. 
A, A. microsper'ma, W.und K. Glittering Seeded Orache. “Stem 
erect or ascending, with ascending branches; leaves opposite, lower 
leaves ovate lanceolate, with two horizontally spreading lobes, den- 
ticulate ; upper leaves lanceolate, subulate, hastate, entire ; perianth 
of the fruit ovate, triangular, acutish, entire, rough on the back, 
SE 
