260 
were it to expect the strongly articulated 
leaf-base in association with a many-spiked 
and smooth inflorescence. 
A sufficient number of facts have, I flat- 
ter myself, been brought forward to demon- 
strate our plant to be unequivocally dis- 
tinct from the old Sp. stricta of this coun- 
try, and of other European regions. I felt, 
however, desirous of having the decision 
of abler judges, and to ascertain from in- 
spection of such Herbariums as I could 
gain access to, if it already existed in the 
older British collections as an indigenous 
species; whether it were a well-known, 
but foreign plant; or one which yet remain- 
ed to be described. On first suspecting 
the Southampton Spartina might prove 
distinct from stricta, I requested the opi- 
nion of Mr. Borrer on the subject, sending 
him, at his desire, a quantity of the fresh 
plant for cultivation, with a detail of such 
characters as I had already observed. His 
opinion, at first given with hesitation, has 
since been avowed in favour of its claim 
to rank as distinct, and decidedly against 
its being a mere luxuriant variety of Spar- 
tina stricla, for which it has doubtless been 
taken, and passed over by many. In his 
letter, Mr. Borrer first pointed out to me 
the strong lateral nerves of the larger ca- 
lyx-glume that had escaped my observa- 
tion, and which I constantly find to afford 
an excellent character, in addition to those 
Ihad before brought under his notice. My 
friend, Mr. Babington, who examined our 
Spartina with me, when I received the 
pleasure of a visit from him in September, 
expressed himself quite convinced of its 
being truly distinct; and I learn from Mr. 
Borrer, that both Mr. Woods and Mr. Fors- 
ter have arrived at the same conclusion 
with ourselves. 
To ascertain if our species were already 
known or described, I had recourse to such 
systematic works as lay within my reach, 
(from which, till aided by specimens, I could 
glean nothing absolutely decisive,) and to 
the Herbariums above referred to. 
In the Banksian collection, British Mu- 
seum, is a specimen from North America, 
(precise station not given,) but without 
A DESCRIPTION OF SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA. 
lower leaves, agreeing in all other res 
with the English Grass, and marked in 
barium at the Linnean Society’s, are two 
examples of a Spartina from Dr. Boott, 
gathered in America, (New England,) in 
1817 and 1824, coinciding in every essen- - 
tial point! with our English plant, and - 
which is referred to Pursh's Limnetis? 
lystachya for a synonyme. Previous to 
this search, Mr. Babington had informed 
me, that Mr. Borrer believed he possessed 
the Southampton plant from America, and i 
on my return home from London, I found 
a parcel of plants from that gentleman, 
amongst which, with his usual kindness, 
he had inclosed a specimen of the trans- 
atlantic Spartina asthe glabra of Mühlen- 
7 
that Mr. Babington and himself, on careful 
comparison, considered it as identical with 
that from the Itchen river. 
Mr. Borrer's American specimen of gla- 
bra, as far as a comparison with a single 
example, and dissection of a few only c 
its florets enables me to judge, is precisely 
our English plant in every essential pa 
cular, 2. e. inthe numerous, unequal spik 8, 
glabrous florets, bearded apex of the larger : 
calyx-glume, and its strongly prominent | 
lateral nerves ; finely-produced rachis ; and 
lastly, in having, like our’s, leaves conti: 
nuous with their sheaths. jt 
Mr. Borrers plant is, however, much 
more rigid, especially in the leaves, which. 
well deserve to be called pungent; an epi- 
thet hardly applicable to either of the Bri- 
tish species, at least when recent. » 
compound spike is also less erect, and 95 
well as the stem, hasa considerable curva- 
y be as 
«| 
such as could onl 
without pressing, assumed al 
gency, in addition to the other characters 0 
rican duplicate, of which they are, 1n that 
perfect counterparts. 
f my Ane 
state, V 
