678 



THE PLUMBAGO FAMILY. 



Fig. 815. 



1. Common Statice. Statice Limonium, Linn. (Pig. 815.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 102. Sea Lavender.) 



Stock short and thick, with tufts of 

 radical leaves from 2 to 5 or 6 inches 

 long, obovate or oblong, quite entire, 

 glabrous, and narrowed at the base into 

 a long stalk ; the midrib is alone pro- 

 minent when fresh, but when dry the 

 lateral reticulate veins branching from it 

 distinctly appear. Flower- stem erect, 

 leafless, 6 inches to a foot or even more 

 high, repeatedly forked, so as to form a 

 broad corymbose panicle, with a mem- 

 branous bract at each division. Flowers 

 numerous, in short, rather loose spikes 

 at the end of the branches, with a green 

 bract, coloured at the edge, under each 

 flower. Calyx green at the base, dry, 

 scarious, and of a pale purple in its up- 

 per part, with 5 short, broad teeth, 

 which are often slightly toothed or 

 jagged. Petals of a bluish purple, at 

 the time of flowering rather longer than the calyx, but the latter be- 

 comes subsequently much enlarged, so as to assume the appearance of 

 a corolla concealing the real one. 



In maritime sands and salt-marshes, on the coasts of western Eu- 

 rope, the Mediterranean, and western Asia, and apparently the same 

 species on the South American and Californian sea-shore. Frequent 

 on the coasts of England and Ireland, very local on those of Scotland. 

 Fl. summer and autumn. A small variety, with less compact spikes, 

 has been described as a species, under the name of S. balmsiensis (S. 

 rariflora, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2917). It grows in the same situations, 

 and is often very difficult to distinguish, even as a variety. 



2. Rock Statice. Statice auriculsefolia, Vahl. (Fig. 816.) 



(S. binervosa, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2663. S. Dodartii and S. occiden- 

 talis, Bab. Man.) 



Resembles in many respects the common $., but the tufted stock is 

 more branched and compact. The leaves are much smaller, usually 

 scarcely one inch, and rarely two inches long, with shorter stalks, and, 

 when dry, often show a lateral nerve on each side of the midrib, but 

 never any diverging veins. Stems about 6 to 10 inches high. Spikes 



