16 PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Beta. 



About London not uncommon. Curtis. 



Annual. Juhj, August. 



The stem is solitary, square, upright, though the lower branches 

 are sometimes greatly elongated, and trail on the ground, as the 

 accurate Mr. Purton remarks. Leaves ovate, sharp-pointed, en- 

 tire, of a thinner substance and paler hue than the last. Clus- 

 ters more elongated, spiked, and upright, interspersed with small 

 leaves, though the lower ones, in strong plants, are cymose and 

 leafless. Calijx spreading, as in the last, and only half covering 

 the seed, which is of a reddish black, scarcely dotted, its tunic 

 very discernible, being thicker than in Ch. ■pokjspermum, or per- 

 haps any other species. This is the Ch. pohjspermum of all Bri- 

 tish botanists, nor perhaps have they met with the real one, 

 which I have received from Cornwall only. The late Mr. Davall 

 first suggested their being distinct species, and 1 think they ap- 

 pear to be so. 



13. Ch. maritimimi. Sea Goosefoot. 



Leaves awl-shaped, semicylindrical. Flowers axillary, 

 sessile. 



Ch. mavitimum. Linn. Sp. PI. 321 . M'illd. v. 1 . 1307. Fl. Br. 278. 



Engl. Bot. v.9.t. 633. Hook. Scot. 83. Fl. Dan. t. 489. 

 Blitum, Kali minus album dictum. Raii Syn. 156. 

 Kali minus. Ger.Em.535.f. Lob. Ic. 394./. 

 K album. Dod. Pempt. 8 1 ./. 

 Small Glasswort. Pet. H. Brit. t.9.f.\. 



On the sea shoi'e, in sandy as well as muddy places, abundantly. 



Annual. Juli/, August. 



Hoot small, tapering. Stems 1 or more, erect, branched, roundish, 

 clothed with numerous, sessile, alternate, narrow, thick, juicy, 

 smooth leaves, about an inch long, salt to the taste, of a light 

 bright green. Fl. several together, sessile, each with a pair of 

 small, acute, close bracteas. Seed orbicular, black, minutely 

 striated. The alkaline salt of this herb renders it serviceable in 

 making glass, though supposed inferior to some kinds of Salsola, 

 found in the south of Europe. 



130. BETA. Beet. 



Linn. Gen. 122. Juss.Sa. Fl.Br.279. Town. t. 286. Lam. 1. 132, 

 Gcertn. t. 75. 



Nat. Ord. see ii. 129. 



Cal. inferior, of 1 leaf, in 5 deep, oblong, obtuse segments, 

 fleshy at the base, permanent. Cor. none. Filam. awl- 

 shaped, opposite to the segments of the calyx, and about as 

 long. Anth. of 2 roundish lobes. Germ, sunk in the calyx, 



