( 231 .) 
BETA* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. PENTA'NDRiAf, Digy'nia. 
Natural Order. Chf.nopo'de e, De Cand. — Lind. Syn. p. 213. ; 
Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 1C7. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 531. — 
Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 226. — Atriplices, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 83. — 
Sm. Gr. of Bot. p. 91. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p.425. — Quernea- 
les; sect. RuMiciXiE; type, Betaceas ; subtype, Chenopo- 
didas; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. ii. pp. 523, 587, & 591. — Holora- 
ce ie, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (see fig. 1.) of 1 sepal, half adherent to the 
germen at the base, in 5 oblong, blunt segment (fig. 2.), permanent. 
Corolla none. Filaments (see figs. 3 & 4.) 5, awl-shaped, oppo- 
site the segments of the calyx, and about as long. Anthers of 
2 roundish lobes. Germen (see figs. 3 & 5.) orbicular, depressed, 
sunk in the calyx lower than the receptacle of the flower. Styles 
(see figs. 3 & 5.) 2, sometimes 3, very short. Stigmas simple, 
pointed. Seed (figs. 7 & 9.) solitary, kidney-shaped, naked, hori- 
zontal, curved (fig. 10.), imbeded in the fleshy base of the calyx, 
the segments closing over it (see fig. 6.). 
The half-inferior, 5-cleft, permanent calyx ; and the solitary, 
kidney-shaped seed, imbeded in the fleshy base of the calyx ; will 
distinguish this from other genera, without a corolla, in the same 
class and order. 
One species British. 
BE'TA MARPTIMA. Sea Beet. 
Spec. Char. Stems procumbent at the base. Flowers in pairs 
or solitary. Segments of the calyx entire. 
Engl. Bot. t. 285. — FI. Grace, v. iii. t. 254. — FI. Dan. t. 1571 (fide SmithJ. — 
linn. Sp. FI. p. 322. — Iluds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 108. — VVilld. Sp. PI. v. i. 
pt. ii. p. 1309. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 279. Engl. Fl. v. ii. p. 17. — Will). (7th ed ) 
v. ii. p.351. — Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p.279. — Lindl. Syn. p.216. — Hook. Brit. 
FJ. p. 139. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 159. — Davies’ Welsh Bot. p.26. — Belli. 
Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 107. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 84. — Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 59. — FI. 
Devon, pp. 45 & 140. — Winch’s Fl. of Northumb & Durli. p. 17. — Mack. Cat. 
of Fl. of Irel. p.26.; Fl. Hibern. pt. i. p.229. — Bit a sylvistris maritima . 
Hay’s Syn. p. 157. — Park. Theat. Bot. p. 750,2. 
Localities. — On the sea shore, in muddy places, and on decayed rocks. — 
Cambridyesh. Salt-marshes, below Wisbeach : Mr. Skrimsiiirk. in Fl. Cant. — 
Cornwall; Ky nance Cove, &c. : Mr. H. C. Watson, in N.B.G. — Devon ; On 
the Cliffs near Crafthole : Rev. F. Jones. Banks of the Exe from Topsham to 
the sea. Beaches at Teignmouth and Dawlish ; under the rocks nearSandlown: 
Dr. Wave.ll. Braunton Burroughs : Mr.H.C. Watson, in N. B.G. — Dorset; 
On the coast: Withering. — Durham , On the shore near Ryhope and Sunder- 
land : N. J. Winch, Esq. — Essex ; At Walton : J. G. in Mag. Nat. Hist. v. iv. 
p.446. — Hants; Isle of Wight: Dr. Stokes. — Kent; On the coast: Mr. W. 
Fig. 1. Two of the Flowers. — Fig. 2. A single segment of the Calyx. — Fig. 3. 
Stamens and Pistils.— Fig. 4. A single Stamen.— Fig. 5. Germen and Styles. — 
Fig. 6. The Fruit, inclosed in the permanent Calyx, the segments of which are 
incurved over it. — Fig. 7. The same, with the segments of the calyx removed. — 
F'ig. 8. A transverse section of the same. — Figs 9 5t 10. The Seed. — All, ex- 
cept figs. 6, 7, & 8. more or less magnified. 
• Derived from the Celtic belt, according to Theis, which means red. Sir 
W. J. Hooker. — Dr. Withering says the name is derived from the form of the 
seed-vessel, which, when swollen with seed, resembles the second Greek let - 
lei '■}. (Beta). t See folio -18, note t- 
