Cakile.] cructfer^. 45 



A much more delicate plant than the last, with very minute flowers, and far more 

 finely divided leaves. Root annual, whitish. Stem spreading on the ground, 

 from a few inches to a foot or more in length, copiously branched. Leaves small, 

 flat, quite glabrous, rather fleshy, deeply pinnatifid, the segments lanceolate acute 

 with a small deflexed mucro, entire or notched. Flowers very minute, greenish 

 yellow, in lateral and terminal racemose clusters that are much elongated in seed. 

 Sepals broad, hollow, rather obtuse. Petals wanting in my Isle of Wight speci- 

 mens, as I remember having remarked in those gathered by me in Devonshire, 

 where Mr. Banks* told me he could not find them. " Stamens 9, or 4, scarcely 

 ever more," Sm. (whence the specific name of the plant), but I find the full com- 

 plement of 6 in the specimens before me from Cowes, though but two of the fila- 

 ments have anthers, viz., the two longer ones opposite the flat sides of the germen. 

 Filaments much dilated at the base, the 4 shorter ones stand out almost horizon- 

 tally between the sepals, looking like awl-shaped petals. Hypogynous glands 4, 

 oblong, greenish, one on each side at the base of the 2 larger filaments. Style 

 scarcely any; stigma large, peltate. Silicule very small, of 2 round lobes 

 covered with warty prominences, but not wrinkled. 



This species has perhaps migrated to us from the W. of England, where it is 

 not uncommon. I have observed it at Plymouth growing abundantly in some of 

 the streets in the outskirts of the town, manifesting itself to the passer-by as he 

 treads it under foot through its strong smell of cresses. Though found in Sussex, 

 it is rare in all the South-eastern counties, and I believe never occurs very far in- 

 land or distant from the sea. I have gathered it at Lymington, and abundantly 

 in Ireland, about Cork, Limerick, &c. Its geographical range is very extended, 

 being found in various and distant parts of the world, mostly near the coast. In 

 America I have myself seen it abundantly at Charleston, S. Carolina, in places 

 similar to those it affects with us. 



Division III. Loms;ntace.s;. 



Pouch or pod indehiscent jointed and dividing transversely into single-seeded or 

 (partly) barren cells. 



XX. Cakile, Tourn. Sea-rocket. 



"Fruit short, angular, of 2, 1-seeded indehiscent joints ; the 

 upper joint deciduous, bearing an upright sessile seed, the lower 

 one with an abortive or pendulous seed." — Br. Fl. 



1. C. maritima, Willd. Purple Sea-rocket. " Joints of the 

 pouch 2-edged, the upper one with 2 teeth at the base, leaves 

 fleshy pinnatifid somewhat toothed." — Br. Fl. p. 33. Bunias 

 Cakile, L. : E. B. t. 231. 



On the sandy sea-shore in several places, abundantly. Fl. June — Sep- 

 tember. . 



E. Med. — At Sea-view. Between Ryde and Nettlestone near Old Fort. San- 

 down bay, in abundance, B. T. W. 



W. Med. — Abundant on the spit at Norton by Yarmouth. 



"Bushy, branches crooked, and as well as the whole plant succulent. Flowers 

 purplish, rarely white." — Br. Fl. Silicules shortly stalked, in long racemose 

 clusters, erect or spreading, about an inch in length, at first greenish yellow, 

 fleshy and terete, finally whitish brown, dry and corky, with 4 narrow thin ribs or 



* Mr. George Banks, of Devonport, an excellent local botanist and author of a 

 beautifully illustrated work, ' The Plymouth and Devonport Flora,' the plates for 

 which were engraved by himself, but of which, unfortunately, the publication has 

 been long since discontinued. 



