Localities.— On the sandy sea-coast frequent.— Cornwall ; On the shore 
near Penzance. &c. : Mr. Watson, in N. B.G. — Devon; Along the coast, fre- 
quent : FI. Devon. — Durham; On the sandy sea-beach, frequent : N.J. Winch, 
Esq. Very common in saudy places by the Tees’ Mouth : J. Hogg.— Essex ; 
On the sandy shore at W alton : J. G. in Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist. v. iv. p.447. — 
Hampshire ; Hyde, Isle of Wight: Dr. Bostock. — Kent ; On the west shore, 
near Folkstone Harbour; and at Lydden Spout: Rev. G E. Smith. Hear 
Sheerness in Shepey, and Cliff's Pnd in 1 hanet : E. Jacob, Esq. in PI. Faversh. 
— Lancashire; Bootle Sauds: -Mr. Watson, in N. B. G. Southpoit, and 
Presail: G. Crosfield, Esq. Noilh shore, near Liverpool : Dr. Withering. — 
Norfolk; On the Beach at Yarmouth: Dawson Turner, Esq. Near Lynn: 
G. Cooper, iu N. B. G. — Northumberland ; On the sandy sea-beach, frequent : 
N. J. Winch, Esq.— In Somersetshire: Dr. Capper, (now Soutury), in 
N. B. G. — Suffolk ; Sou hwold: Mr. Woodward. — In Sussex : Rev. G. E. 
Smith, in N. B. G. — Yorkshire ; North Sands, near Seal borough : Rev. A. 
Bi.oxam, and E. F. Witts, E<q. — WALES. Anglesey ; On toe sandy sea- 
coast, not uncommon: Rev. II. Davies. — Merionethshire ; Near Barmouth : 
Mag. Nat. Hist. — SCOTLAND. On Leith Sands, at Kirkaldy, on the coast 
of Fife, on the western side of Cantire, between Machrianish Bay and Barr: 
Rev. J. Lichtfoot, in FI. Scot. East coast from Abetdeen to Fiaserburgh : 
Mr. Murray'. On the coast at Caroline Park, ike.: Dr. G reville. — IRE- 
LAND. On sandy sea-shores, frequent: Mr. Mackay. On the coast of 
Waterford, near Coolum : Countess of Carrick. 
Annual. — Flowers from June to October*. 
Root small, slender, woody, running deep into the sand, and 
terminated by a few rigid fibres. Stem from 6 to 12 inches high, 
or more, smooth, woody, much branched, and spreading in every 
direction, both stem and branches often remarkably twisted and 
zigzag, never straight. Leaves scattered, thick, fleshy, a little glau- 
cous, nearly sessile, variously pinnatifid, the lobes somewhat distant, 
entire or toothed. Flowers of a pale purple or bright lilac colour, 
in dense terminal corymbs, which are gradually elongated into 
fruit-bearing racemes. Pouches about an inch long, their lower 
joint generally abortive ; they are upright, with 4 sharp edges, but 
so compressed as to be sword-shaped at the upper part, and when 
ripe the upper joint falls off, without bursting, leaving a cloven base 
behind. Sir W. J. Hooker mentions a variety with a white flower 
having been found on the coast of Ayr, by Mr. James Wilson. 
The whole plant has a saltish taste, and is said to be a brisk ca- 
thartic, and it has been recommended as a diuretic and antiscorbutic. 
I am indebted to the kindness of the Countess of Carrick for 
the specimen from which the Drawing for the accompanying plate 
was made. Dawson Turner, Esq. has also favoured me with 
specimens from Yarmouth. 
“ I have often thought that flowers were the alphabet of Angels, whereby they 
write on hills and fields mysterious truths .” — The Rebels. 
* A correspondent in Mr. Loudon’s Magazine of Natural History , v. iv. p. 
447, who signs himself J. G., says that it was blooming, in spite of the wintry 
blasts to which it was exposed, in the twelfth month (December), 1830 ; and that its 
colours were then much more brilliant than is usually the case in Summer. 
