68 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
not uncommon, but I have specimens only from Kent, Essex, and 
Yorkshire. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Late Summer, Autumn, 
Stem with very numerous long straggling branches spreading in a 
circle; internodes rather long, except at the apex of the branches. 
Leaves 3 to 1 inch long, thicker and more fleshy than in any of the 
preceding forms, not spreading; those in the axils of which flowers 
are produced short, rarely above 3 inch long. Perianth ¢ inch long, 
more or less tinged with bright crimson. Nut less deeply activation 
and more shining than in any of the preceding forms. 
This plant resembles P. Raii, but the nut is considerably shorter, 
and not smooth and shining as in that species. I believe that it may 
prove distinct as a subspecies from the other forms of P. aviculare, 
SPECIES V—POLYGONUM RAII. Bad. 
Prats MCCXXXII: 
P. littorale, Gren. & Godr, Fl. de Fr. Vol. TI, p. 51. 
P. Roberti (Loisel, ex parte), Hook. & Arn. Brit, Fl. ed. vi. p. B04, 
P. maritimum, var. Benth. Handbk. Brit. Fl. ed. ii. p. 398. 
Annual or biennial. Stem herbaceous, prostrate, usually branched. 
Leaves shortly stalked or the upper ones sessile, rather thin, flat 
when full-grown, but with the margins reflexed when young, oval- 
or oblong-elliptical or strapshaped-elliptical, entire, attenuated at the 
base, acute or subacute, with the nerves distinctly raised beneath. 
Ochre brown at the base, with about 6 thin simple nerves, silvery 
white and at length laciniate at the apex. Flowers in lateral fascicles 
of 2 to 6, or rarely solitary, combined into terminal simple interrupted 
spikelike racemes leafy throughout; the lower fascicles so far separated 
that they scarcely form part of the spike. Pedicels erect or slightly 
recuryed, about as long as the nut, articulated immediately below the 
base of the perianth. Perianth coloured or subherbaceous, scarcely 
enlarged in fruit, attenuated at the base; segments with a prominent 
dorsal nerve. Stamens 8. Styles 3, very short, free. Nut about 
half as long again as the perianth, ovate-triquetous, smooth or nearly 
smooth, chestnut or pale chestnut. Plant not glandular. 
On sandy seashores. Rather rare, though generally distributed 
round the south and west coasts of England, and the south-west of 
Scotland, extending north to Argyleshire. Rare on the east coast, 
where, however, it has occurred in Kent, Norfolk, Lincoln, Hadding- 
ton, Fife, and probably Forfar. It has been reported from Shetland, 
