DIOTIS MARITIMA. SEA-SIDE COTTONWEED.
DIOTIS maritima.
DIOTIS maritima. Cassini in Diet, des Sciences Natur, ml. 3. p . 295.
DIOTIS candidissima. Desfont. FI. A tl. ml. 2. p. 261. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 4. p . 201.
FI. Gall. Syn. p. 290.
SANTOLINA maritima. Linn. MSS. in Sp. P i. p. 1182. (fid. Sm.) Iluds. Angl. p. 356. With.
Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 691. Smith FI. Brit. p. 860. Engl. Bot. t. 141. Willd. Sp.
PI. ml. S.p. 1799- A it on Hort. Kew. ed. 2. ml. 4>.p. 518. Pcrs. Syn. PI. ml. 2. p . 406.
ATHANASIA maritima. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 1182.
FILAGO maritima. Linn. Sp. PI. ed. l. p . 927.
GNAPHALIUM legitimum. Gcertn. de Fruct. ml. 2. p. 391. t. 165.
GNAPHALIUM raaritimum. Sea Cudweed or Cottonweed. Rail Syn.p. 180,
Welsh. Llzoyd boneddig.
Class a nd Ord e r . SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA ÆQUALIS.
[Nat. Ord. CORYMBIFERÆ, Juss. COMPOSITÆ, Decand., Hoolc. SYNANTHEREÆ, Trib.
ANTHEMIDEÆ, Cassini.]
Gen. Char. Imolucrum hemisphæricum, imbricatum squamis oblongis adpressis. Flores flosculosi omnes ber-
maphroditi, uniformes, tubulosi, quinquedentati, medio angustati, inferne compressi, dilatati, basi biappendicu-
lati ; appendieibus utrinque germini admotis. Pappus nullus. Receptaculum convexum, paleaceum. Desf.
Gen. Char, Involucre hemisphærical, imbricated with oblong appressed scales. ' Florets tubular, all hermaphrodite,
uniform, five-toothed, contracted in the .middle, compressed below, dilated with two appendages at the
base, which are applied to each side of the germen. Pappus none. Receptacle convex, chaffy. Desf'.
Radix subflagelliformis, longissime descendens, lignosa,
rarnosa, fusca.
Tota herba tomento candido densissiine obsita.
Cables numerosi ex eadem radice, basi saspissime sub-
procumbentes, dein erecti, vix pedales, teretes,
versus apicem subramosi.
Folia numerosa, altenia, patentia, subimbricata, oblon-
ga, obtusa, supra plana, subtus convexa, sessilia,
marginecrenulata.
Flores terminates, corymbosi, aurei; Pedunculi foliosi.
Involucrom hemisphrericum, vel fere exacte sphasri-
cum, squamosum, foliolis arete imbricatis, ova-
tis, extus tomentosis, intus nitidis.
Flosculi numerosi, omnes tubulosi, vix involucro Io n -:
giores,. apice quinquedentati, basi compressi,
utrinque ad marginem germinis insigniter pro-
ducti.
Stamina quinque; Antherre oblong®, apice appendi-
cuiatffi, marginibus unitis.
Germen, ob corollulm productionem, semi-inferum,
oblongum, sulcatum; Stylus longitudine tubi ;
Stigma longe bifidum, laciniis linearibus, intus
canaliculatis, apicibus pilosis.
Receptaculum hemisphrericutn, paleaceum, paleis oblongis
apice lanatis.
Pericaupia (Semina a'uctorum) imperfecta, oblonga,
curvata, basi corollulfe persistente indurata ob-
tecta.
Root somewhat flagelliform, descending deep into the
earth, woody, branched, brown.
T h e whole h e r b is covered with a very thick white
down.
Stems numerous from the same root, often procumbent
a t the base, then erect, scarcely a foot high,
rounded, branched towards the extremity.
Leaves numerous, alternate, patent, subimbricated, oblong,
obtuse, plane above, convex beneath, sessile,
crenulated at the margin.
Flowers terminal, corymbose, deep yellow; Peduncles
leafy. .
I nvolucre hemispherical, or almost entirely spherical,
scaly, with the leaflets closely imbricated,
ovate, externally downy, internally shining.
FEGRETS numerous, all tubular, scarcely longer than
the involubre, five-toothed at the apex, compressed
at the base, and remarkably produced on each
side along the margin of the germen.
Stamens five,; Anthers oblong, with an appendage at
the extremity, united at the margins.
Germen , on account of the production of the corolla,
half inferior, oblong, furrowed; Style as long as
the tube; Stigma deeply bifid, with the segments
linear, grooved within, the extremities hairy.
Receptacle hemisphasrical, chaffy, with the scales oblong,
woolly at the apex.
Pericarps {Seeds of authors) imperfect, oblong, curved,
covered with the persistent hardened base of the
corolla. I f
I Eg. 1. Flower cut through vertically. Fig. 2. Part of the involucre, with the receptacle from which the chaffy
l scales and the florets have been removed. Fig. 3. Scale with its floret. Fig. 4. Floret cut open to show the
[ stamen and pistil. Fig. 5. Part of the style and stigma. Fig. 6. Imperfect pericarps covered by the indurated
I and produced bases of the corolla.— all more or less magnified.
| Linnajus, in the first edition of his Species Plantarum, called this plant Filago maritima ; in the last edition of
1 the same work, he altered the genus to Athanasia; and finally, in the MS. in his own copy of the work now
t mentioned, he removed it to Santolina, in which situation Sir James Smith and all other British authors have re-
| amed it. Tournefort and Gsertner considered this plant to be the true ancient Gnaphalium, (from yvuQaXov, to-
i mentum,) and as such have both figured it admirably, representing the curious structure of the base of the corolla,
» anc* its prolongation down the sides of the germen. In this particular the species under consideration differs es-
1 sentially from Santolina, Athanasia, and Filago; and the appellation of Gnaphalium having by common consent
I een given to a very different genus of plants, M. Desfontaines, preserving the character given by Tournefort and
I-v,ffirtner to our P^ant> has merely altered the name of the genus to Diotis, from §/?, bis, and ovg, uroc, auris, in
1 nsequenge of the two earlike appendages to the germen.
! u y one speces of this genus has hitherto been discovered, and this is chiefly a native of the southern shores o f
I een°-)|l r t*le.North o f Africa. In Britain it is'rare, or at least confined to but few spots, where it is, however,
I Mi h i> M-nfl *n §':eat profusion. Ahertnenni Ferry, Anglesea, and gravelly shores between Penzance and St.
( Dnr ? , S .unt> Cornwall, are habitats mentioned by Ray. Besides these, it grows near Poole and Bridport,
t whir-hi.1C’ ln -kk.of Sheppey, Kent; at Landguard Fort, Aldborough, Orford, and Dunwick, Suffolk; at
f Rpn. a fei sP°b as indicated to me by my friend D. E. Davey, esq.i sent specimen. ■ J of the Grove, Yoxford, I °g athered the *p*re-
E vererL ^ st t*ie?e stat.°ns are the most northerly parts of Britain at which' the Diotis has been disco-
| perfection * ^ en^ u^y as ^ occurs in Suffolk, I have never been able to find that any of the seeds had come to
[ ?ow»» in August and September.
I nacetum Rw ^ e.C*s a rat*ier powerful aromatic scent, which Sir James Smith compares to that of Costmary (Ta-
i culn« rr! (,‘samita) ; and upon the authority of Labillardi&re, Desfontaines says, “ In Oriente ejus infusio ad cal-
| Ido l11 et T lCte exPel,endos felici cum successu adhibetur.”
| plant- andSCe , at.^as^ llta'nes ^as any sufficient reason for altering the specific as well as generic name o f this
I such phor. as §11 ° ‘c* term of maritima is full as applicable as that of candidissima, I retain it, considering that
I ges, except when absolutelyf necessary, cannot be too much avoid—ejd.