256 POLYGAMIA— MONOECIA. Atviplex. 



Fert.Jl. on the same plant. Cal. inferior, in 2 deep, large, 

 flat, erect, compressed, ovate, bluntish segments. Cor. 

 none. Stam. none. Germ, superior, compi-essed. 8tylc 

 short, deeply divided. S/;^?»fls simple, spreading. Seedl, 

 orbicular, compressed, wrapped in a thin close pellicle, 

 antl enclosed between the enlarged, converging, heart- 

 shaped valves of the calyx. 



Herbaceous or shrubby, perennial, or annual, branched, 

 mostly upright. Lecwes simple, undivided or jagged. 

 Pubescence scaly, or mealy. Stipulas none. Fl. nu- 

 merous, small, greenish, in tufted spikes, or axillary 

 and affsrefjate. Seeds blackish, or brown. Stam. cer- 

 tainly opposite to the calyx, not alternate with its seg- 

 ments. 



1. A.portulacoides. Shrubby Orache, or SeaPiirslane. 



Stem shrubby, spreading. Leaves opposite, obovate-lan- 

 ceolate, entire ; tapering at the base. Flowers generally 

 completely separated. 



A. portulacoides, Linn. Sp. PI. 1493. WiUJ. v. 4. 957. FL Br. 

 1090. Engl.Bot.v.4.t.26l. Hook. Scot. 20\. Bertolon.Am. 

 Ital. 244. 



A. maritima fruticosa, Halimus et Portulaca marina dicta, angus- 

 tifolia. Rail Syn. l.')3. 



Halimus seu Portulaca marina. Bauh. Pin. 120. 



H. vulgaris. Ger. Em. 523./. Matth. J'algr. v. 1 . 145./. 



H. secimdus. Clus. Hist. 54. f. 



Portulaca marina. Dalech. Hist. 552./ 



P. marina fruticosa, quae Halimus secundus Clusii. Bauh. Hist. 

 v.l.p.2. 228./ 229. 



Sea Purslane. Pctiv. H. Brit. t. 7.f. 7. 



On the muddy sea coa^-t frequent. 



Shrub. July, August. 



Root woody, somewhat creeping, much branched at the crown. 

 Stems 12 or J 8 inches high, shrubby, branched, leafy, ascend- 

 ing, or sometimes procumbent, hoary ; round below J quadran- 

 gular above. Leaves opposite, stalked, leathery, bluntish, 

 entire ; tapering at the base into a channelled /oo<s/a?A:,- hoary 

 or mealy all over. Spikes about the top of each branch, axillary 

 and terminal, erect, interrupted, consisting of several little 

 sessile tufts, of reddish-green mealy Jiowers, some with yellow 

 heart-shaped anthers, and seldom rdv pistil ; others with reddish 

 styles, and no traces of stamens. Cal. of the fruit, of the latter, 

 slightly enlarged, lobed, a little tumid. 



The whole plant abounds with fossil alkali, or Soda. Its silvery 

 glaucous hue is remarkable, and not inelegant. 



