142 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



the taste and smell of the Swiss schabzieger or chapsegar, which is so highly esteemed. 

 In the genuine cheese it is produced by the pressed flowers or bruised seeds of the 

 Melilolus officinalis. 



GENUS XXIV— C RITHMUM. Linn. 



Calyx-limb obsolete. Petals oval, entire, involute, valvate. 

 Cremocarp somewbat corky, oblong-ovoid, not compressed ; colu- 

 mella free, bipartite ; mericarps with 5 prominent sbarply-keeled 

 ridges, tbe lateral ones a little broader and marginal ; interstices 

 with several vittse. Involucres and involucels many-leaved. 



A glabrous perennial, having ternately decompound leaves, 

 with thick linear fleshy segments, and compound umbels of small 

 pale greenish-yellow flowers. 



The origin of the name of this genus of plants is the Greek word Kpao (kimo), I 

 secrete, from its power of promoting various secretions ; or, as some writers give it, 

 from Kpidr] {kritlie), barley, to which the fruit has some similarity. 



SPECIES I.— CRITH MUM MARITIMUM. Linn. 



Plate DCVI. 



Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XXI. Tab. 1900. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1G79. 



The only species of the genus. 



On cliffs by the sea-shore, more rarely on shingly or sandy 

 beaches. Not uncommon on the South and Western coasts from 

 Kent to Ayrshire. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer 

 and Autumn. 



Eootstock woody, elongated, branched. Stem ascending, G 

 inches to 1 foot high, flexuous, fleshy, solid, smooth, green, finely 

 striate. Petioles much dilated and sheathing at the base, so 

 that they might best be described as having adnate membranous 

 stipules. Leaves deltoid in outline, pinnate with 2 pairs of lateral 

 leaflets, or ternate with leaflets again ternate or biternate ; primary 

 leaflets rarely simple ; ultimate leaflets fleshy, nearly cylindrical, 

 tapering at each extremity, or narrowly elliptical, mucfonate, f to 

 2 inches long. Umbel of 8 to 20 rather thick rays, slightly curving 

 inwards, f to 1^ inch long ; pedicels \ to \ inch long, curved inwards. 

 Involucre and involucels of numerous ovate-triangular leaves, with 

 sub-scarious margins, at length reflexed. Flowers xV inch across, 

 pale yellowish-green ; petals ovate, involute, caducous. Cremo- 

 carp J inch long, oval-ovoid, corky, olive-colour or purplish, with 

 narrow very acute ridges, formed by the gradual elevation of the 



