SYNGENESIA NECESSARIA. 
475 
Sp. pi. 3. p. 2387. Walt. p. 232. Mich. 2. p. 184. Pursh, 2. p. 580. 
Nutt. 2. p. 185. 
A shrub three to eight feet high, with very numerous opposite branches 
and leaves. Stem slightly furrowed, when young somewhat scabrous and 
pubescent. Leaves three-nerved, slightly scabrous with a somewhat dotted 
and uneven surface, of a greyish hue, attenuated at base into a short petiole. 
Flowers axillary, frequently in pairs, deflected, in simple axillary racemes 
forming together a large terminal panicle. Involucrum five-leaved, the 
leaves nearly round, viscidly pubescent. Fertile florets five in the circum- 
ference. Corolla very small, tubular, generally two? cleft. Style two- 
cleft, longer than the corolla. Stigmas obtuse. Male florets in the centre 
of the disk six to seven. Corolla longer than the involucrum, five-cleft, 
tinged with purple, stamens five, growing from the base of the corolla. 
Germ and Style very small, abortive. Seed abortive, naked. Bristles of 
the receptacle as many as the florets, as long as the corolla. 
Grows along the seacoast in the vicinity of salt water — -very common. 
Flowers July — September. 
2. Imbricata. Walt. 
I. perennis, glabra; 
foliis lineari-lanceola- 
tis, cuneatis, carnosis, 
superioribus alternis 
integerrimisque; invo- 
lucris imbricatis; rc- 
ceptaculi paleis spathu- 
latis. E. 
Perennial, glabrous; 
leaves linear-lanceo- 
late, cuneate, succulent, 
the upper alternate and 
very entire; involu- 
crum imbricate; chaff 
of the receptacle spa- 
thulate. 
Walt. p. 232. Sp. pi. 3. p. 2387. Mich. 2. p. 184. Pursh, 2. p. 580. 
Nutt. 2. p. 185. 
Root perennial. Stem annual, terete, slightly angled towards the sum- 
mit, when young green, afterwards dark purple. Leaves sessile, succulent, 
three-nerved, generally alternate, the lower sometimes opposite, and some- 
times coarsely toothed. Flowers axillary, forming simple racemes towards 
the summit of the branches, pendulous. Scales of the involucrum six to 
nine, imbricate, nearly round, carnose, veined, the margin membranaceous 
and crenately lacerate. Fertile florets two, the corolla very minute, five- 
parted (sometimes appearing multifid) at the summit. Style twice as long 
as the corolla; stigmas simple. Male florets numerous. Corolla as long 
as the involucrum, white. Anthers approximate not united. Seeds slightly 
compressed, dark purple. Chaff of the receptacle as long as the involucrum, 
narrow spathulate, crenulate at the summit. 
Grows among the drifting sand hills along the margin of the ocean. 
Flowers July — October. 
