37 6 FLORA. 



ament-like spikes, the pistillate solitary in the axils, or rarely several together. 

 Staminate flowers without a calyx; stamens 2-5 together under peltate rhombic- 

 OVate acute spirally arranged scales; filaments short. Pistillate (lowers sessile or 

 very nearly so; calyx compressed, ovoid or oblong, slightly 2-lipped, adnate to the 

 bases of the 2 subulate exserted papillose stigmas, appendaged by a narrow border 

 which expands into a membranous horizontal wing in fruit. Seed vertical, the 

 testa translucent, double; embryo coiled into a flat spiral, green; endosperm none. 

 [Name Greek, flesh-thorn, from the fleshy leaves and thorny stems.] Amonotypic 

 genus of western N. Am. 



1. Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook.) Torr. Grease- wood. (I. F. f. 1392.) 

 Glabrous or the young foliage somewhat pubescent. 0.6-3 m - high> the branches 

 nearly white. Stem 2-8 cm. in diameter; wood yellow, very hard; leaves obtuse 

 or subacute, 1-4 cm. long, 2-3 mm. wide; spikes of staminate flowers 6-25 mm. 

 long, cylindric, short-peduncled or sessile; wing of the calyx 8-12 mm. broad when 

 mature, conspicuously veined. In dry alkaline and saline soil, western Neb. and 

 Mont, to Nev. and N. Mex. June -July. 



12. DONDIA Adans. [SUAEDA Forsk.] 



Fleshy herbs, or low shrubs, with alternate narrowly linear thick or nearly 

 terete entire sessile leaves, and perfect or polygamous bracteolate flowers, solitary 

 or clustered in the upper axils. Calyx 5 -parted or 5-cleft, the segments in fruit 

 enclosing the utricle. Stamens 5. Styles usually 2, short. Pericarp separating 

 from the seed. Embryo coiled into a flat spiral. Endosperm wanting or very 

 little. [In honor of Jacopodi Dondi, Italian naturalist of the fourteenth century.] 

 About 50 species, of wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, some 6 

 others occur in the western and southern parts of N. Am. 



Calyx-lobes not appendaged ; Atlantic coast species. 



Dark green, not glaucous ; sepals acutely keeled ; seed black. 1. D. Americana. 



Light green, glaucous : sepals scarcely keeled ; seed dark red. 2. D. maritima. 



One or more of the calyx-lobes crested or winged; western species. 3. D. depressa. 



1. Dondia Americana (Pers.) Britton. Tall Sea-Blite. {I. F. f. 1393.) 

 Stem erect, strict, 3-10 dm. tall, pale green or nearly white, the branches slender, 

 very leafy, erect-ascending or sometimes recurved. Leaves of the stem linear- 

 subulate, 1-4 cm. long, those of the branches much shorter, somewhat 3-angled, 

 lanceolate-subulate, widest just above the base, the upper surface flat; sepals glau- 

 cous, acutely keeled or almost winged; seed orbicular, black, shining, I mm. broad. 

 On salt marshes and along salt-water ditches, N. S. to N. J. Aug. -Sept. 



2. Dondia maritima (L.) Druce. Low Sea-Blite. (I. F. f. 1394.) Pale 

 green and somewhat glaucous; stem bushy-branched, 1-4 dm. high, becoming 

 brownish, the branches ascending. Leaves 10-25 mm. long, those of the branches 

 not conspicuously shorter than the upper ones of the stem, 3-angled, broadest at 

 the base; sepals pale green, rounded or obtusely keeled, somewhat roughened; 

 seed orbicular, dark brownish red, shining, about 2 mm. in diameter. On sea 

 beaches, stony and muddy shores, and in salt marshes, Me. to S. N. Y. Also on 

 the- coasts of Europe. July-Sept. 



3. Dondia depressa (Pursh) Britton. Western Blite. (I. F. f. 1395.) 

 Branched, 1.5-6 dm. tall, the branches usually very leafy. Leaves narrowly linear, 

 I-2.5 cm. long, broadest at or just above the base, or the upper lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate and commonly much shorter; sepals acute, one or more of them strongly 

 keeled or crested in fruit ; seed about I mm. in diameter, rather dull, minutely 

 reticulated. In saline soil, Minn, to the N. W. Terr., south to Kans., Colo, and 

 Nev. June Aug. 



13. SALSOLA L. 



l'.u^hy-branched herbs, with rigid subulate prickle-pointed leaves, and sessile 

 perfect 2-bracteolate flowers in the axils. Calyx 5-parted. its segment- appendaged 

 by a broad membranous horizontal wing in fruit and enclosing the utricle. Sta- 

 mens 5. Ovary depressed; styles 2. Utricle flattened. Seed horizontal; embryo 

 coiled into a conic spiral; endosperm none. [Name Latin, a diminutive of salsus, 



