116 PENTANDRIA— PENTAGYNIA. Statlce. 



span high, simple, round, wavy, downy, each at its first protru- 

 sion sheathed in a brown tubular membrane, scarcely an inch 

 long, which is therefore soon torn from its base, and carried up 

 along with the brown outer bracteas, to which it is attached. 

 FI.. numerous, rose-coloured, inodorous, in a dense globular 

 head. Inner bracteas (the involua-um of Linnaeus) several, 

 obovate, with a pellucid filmy border. Cal. small, erect, with 

 5 very minute marginal bristles. Capsule crowned with the 5, 

 bristle-like, hairy, permanent styles. 

 A common ornament of rustic gardens, where it serves for edgings 

 of flower-beds ; nor does this plant suffer much from the smoke, 

 even of London. 



2. S. Li/noniu7n. Blue Spiked Thrift. Common Sea 

 Lavender. 



Stalks panicled, round; spikes level-topped. Leaves ellip- 

 tic-oblong, single-ribbed, smooth, with a nearly terminal 

 bristle. 



S. Limonium. Linn. Sp. P/.394. Willd. v. 1. 1523. Fl. Br. 341. 



Engl. Boi. V. 2. t. 102. Hook. Scot. 97. Fl. Dan. ^ 315. 

 Limonium. Rail Syn. 201. Ger. Em. 411. f. I. Matth. Valgr.v.2. 



329./. Camer. Epif.72l.f. Lob. Ic. 295./. I. Dalech.Hisf. 



1U24./. 1. 

 B. L. minus. Rati Syn. 202. 

 L. parvum. Ger. Em. 411./. 2. Lob. Ic. 295./. 2. 

 y. L. anglicum minus, caulibus ramosioribus, floribus in spicis ra- 



rius sitis. Raii Hist. v. 3. 247. Dill, in Raii Syn. 202. 



On muddy sea shores, and about the mouths of large rivers, com- 

 mon. 



Perennial. July, August. 



Root woody and tough. Leaves leathery, glaucous, usually 2 or 3 

 inches long, upright, tapering downward intobordered/oo^s^aifc. 

 Panicle alternately branched, with a greater or less number of 

 reclining spikes, of imbricated, upright^owers, each of which is 

 sheathed in a green tubular bractea, filmy and shining at the 

 margin. Cal. tinged with red. Pet. of a fine blue ; paler ex- 

 ternally. Few plants vary more in luxuriance, but the powers 

 preserve their natural size. /3 is a very diminutive variety ; 

 y I have not ascertained, but the flowers being more or less 

 crowded is a matter of small moment. 



3. ^S. reticulata. Matted Thrift, or Sea Lavender. 



Stalks panicled, prostrate, zigzag, dotted ; lower branches 

 barren. Leaves wedge-shaped, rather acute, without 



points. 



