442 
St  at  ice  Caroliniana. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Phana, 
\      Sept.,  1879. 
STATICE  CAROLINIANA. 
By  Eugene  L.  Reed,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay, 
Marsh  rosemary  is  considered  by  Nuttall,  Torrey  and  other  botanists 
as  a  mere  variety  of  Statice  limonium,  of  Europe,  while  others  regard 
it  a  distinct  species.  It  is  indigenous  to  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the 
United  States,  and  has  a  perennial  root,  sending  up  annually  tufts  of 
leaves,  which  are  obovate  or  cuneiform,  entire,  mucronate,  smooth  and 
on  long  foot  stalks.  They  differ  from  the  leaves  of  S.  limonium  ira 
being  flat  on  the  margin,  while  the  latter  are  undulated.  The  flower- 
stem  is  round  and  smooth,  from  a  few  inches  to  a  foot  or  more  irt 
length,  sending  off  near  its  summit  numerous  subdividing  branches, 
which  terminate  in  spikes,  and  form  altogether  a  loose  panicle.  The 
flowers  are  small,  bluish-purple,  erect,  upon  one  side  only  of  the  com- 
mon peduncle,  with  a  mucronate,  scaly  bract  at  the  base  of  each,  a 
five-angled,  five  toothed  calyx,  and  spatulate  obtuse  petals.  The  mea- 
dows in  the  vicinity  of  Atlantic  City  are  made  beautiful  by  the  marsh 
rosemary  when  in  flower.  The  delicate  bluish-purple  of  its  blossoms,, 
which  appear  in  August  and  September,  produce  a  pleasant  relief  to 
the  eye  from  the  varying  shades  of  green  of  the  salt  grasses.  It  is  the 
forerunner  of  the  bright  yellow  and  crimson  tints  of  the  pickle-weed> 
which  later  in  the  fall  gives  to  the  meadows  such  richness  of  color. 
The  marsh  rosemary,  or  meadow  lavender,  is  highly  prized  by  those 
who  collect  grasses  to  ornament  their  homes  in  winter,  and  is  placed 
above  picture  frames  and  in  bouquets  as  one  of  their  most  attractive 
features.  The  root  collected  in  October  possesses  medicinal  proper- 
ties in  a  higher  degree  than  that  collected  later  in  the  season.  It  is 
large  and  spindle-shaped,  branched,  fleshy,  compact,  rough  and  of  a 
purplish-brown  color.  Its  length  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  soil, 
which  varies  from  dark  muddy  to  light  sandy  in  numerous  localities 
over  the  meadows.  If  found  in  sandy  soil,  the  root  is  short  and  of  a 
branching  character,  while  that  obtained  from  muddy  soil  is  long, 
straight  and  less  branching.  It  is  bitter  and  very  astringent  to 
the  t^aste,  and  in  the  fresh  state  ;is  without  odor,  but  a  decoction  kept 
in  a  warm  place  for  several  days  ferments  and  has  a  molasses-like  odor. 
The  fresh  root  is  tough  and  not  easily  bruised  except  after  the  addi- 
tion of  a  little  alcohol.  The  tincture  obtained  with  a  mixture  of  one 
part  of  alcohol  and  two  parts  of  water  yielded  a  precipitate  with  ace- 
