THE GOOSEFOOT TRIBE. 



147 



plants are called Strawberry Blite (Blitum). In 

 others, the calyx, at the angle where it bends over the 

 seed-vessel, expands into membranous wings, giving 

 the whole plant a very singular appearance ; this 

 occurs in pnckly Saltwort (Salsola Kali), a common 

 plant on the sands of the sea-coast in some parts of 

 this country, and sometimes collected for the sake of 

 its ashes, which yield common soda in abundance. A 

 tendency to this enlargement of the calyx exists even 

 in common Beet, whose seed-vessel is surrounded by 

 the calyx, half in a hardened, half in a spongy state. 



Having thus made yourself mistress of the pecu- 

 liarities of the Goosefoot Tribe, let me recommend 

 you to contrast them with the Nettle Tribe, the Buck- 

 wheat Tribe, and the Amaranth Tribe, because all 

 those are, in reality, very closely allied to it. Parallel 

 columns had better be again employed for comparing 

 their differences — 





Buckwheat 



Amaranth 



Goosefoot 



Nettle Tribe. 



Tribe. 



Tribe. 



Tribe. 



Stipules membra- 



Stipules membra- 



Stipules o. 



Stipules 0. 



nous and dis- 



nous and ochre- 







tinct. 



ate. 







Flowers of two 



Flowers of one 



Flowers uniform, 



Flowers either 



sorts. 



sort. 



drj^ membra- 



uniform, or of 







nous, and sur- 



two sorts, soft, 







rounded by 



succulent, and 







bracts. 



not surrounded 

 bj' bracts. 



Seeds round. 



Seeds triangular. 



Seeds round. 



Seeds round. 



Radicle at the 



Radicle at the 



Radicle atthe base 



Radicle at the ba<e 



point of the 



jjoint of the 



of the seed. 



of the seed. 



seed. 



seed. 







Hence it appears that the Nettles and Buckwheats 

 have stipules, and the radicle at the point of the seed; 



L 2 



