136 



CHENOPODIACEiE. 



Blitum. 



1 . Blitum 1 maritimum, Nutt. Bait-marsh Blite. 

 Stem erect, angular ; leaves deltate- lanceolate, cuneate at the base, incisely toothed, 



succulent, the upper ones linear-lanceolate ; glomerules in axillary leafy spikes ; calyx deeply 

 3-parted, not becoming succulent ; seed lenticular, vertical, smooth. — Nutt. gen. 2. add- 

 (without page); Torr. fl. 1. p. 5 ; Moq.-Tand. Chenop. p. 44. 



Annual. Stem erect, 1 - 2 ( - 3, Nuttall) feet high, much branched, smooth, angular and 

 sulcate. Leaves about two inches long, attenuate into a petiole at the base, with a few coarse 

 teeth : upper ones with only one or two teeth, or nearly entire. Spikes much shorter than 

 the leaves, consisting of a few densely capitate clusters about the size of a peppercorn, which 

 are arranged in a leafy spike. Flowers polygamous in each head? Calyx longer than the 

 ovary, of three obovate sepals which are nearly distinct to the base. Stamen solitary. Style 

 single, short, slightly 2-cleft at the summit. Utricle obovate, of rather firm texture. Seed 

 (immature) much compressed. 



Salt-marshes, Long Island. Near New- York {Nuttall). My specimens, which are im- 

 mature, are from Hoboken. This species turns blackish in drying. It has much the aspect 

 of an Atriplex, and hardly belongs to the present genus. 



2. Blitum capitatum, Linn. Strawberry Blite. 



Stem procumbent or assurgent ; leaves triangular-hastate, acute, sinuately toothed ; heads 

 alternate, in terminal spikes which are leafless above ; calyx at length baccate ; seeds smooth, 

 the margin acutely keeled. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 4 ; Michx. fl. 1. p. 2 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 4 ; Torr. 

 ft. 1. p. 4 ; Beck, hot. p. 299 ; Moq.-Tand. Chenop. p. 48. 



Annual. Stem about a foot long, diffusely branched. Leaves acutely angular, smooth. 

 Flowers in dense roundish clusters, which are collected towards the summit of the branches. 

 Calyx finally becoming red and succulent. Stamen longer than the ovary. 



On grounds recently burned over ; not uncommon in the western part of the State, parti- 

 cularly in Oneida county : probably introduced. June. The heads of flowers, when arrived 

 at maturity, somewhat resemble strawberries. 



3. Blitum Bonus-Henricus, C.A.Mey. English Mercury. Good King Henry. 



Stem ascending, angular, nearly simple ; leaves petiolate, hastate -triangular, obtuse or 

 acute, somewhat sinuate or entire ; clusters of flowers approximated in a terminal leafless 

 spike ; calyx 5-sepalled ; seed minutely dotted, obtuse on the margin. — C. A. Mey. in Ledeb. 

 fl. Alt. 1. p. 11, ex Moq.-Tand. Chenop. p. 46. Chenopodium Bonus-Henricus, Linn. sp. 

 1. p. 219 ; Engl. hot. t. 1030 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 197 ; Muhl. cat. p. 28 ; Torr. fl. I. p. 294 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 295. Atriplex Bonus-Henricus, "Crantz, inst. 1. p. 206," ex Moq.-Tand. 



Perennial. Stem about one foot high, smooth. Leaves 2-3 inches long, the breadth at 

 the base equal to the length, nearly entire or somewhat repand, smooth : petiole 1-2 inches 



