WM
TRIGLOCHIN MARITIMUM. SEA SIDE
ARROW-GRASS.
T R IG L O C H IN maritimum ; capsulis sexlocularibus, ovatis.
T R IG L O C H IN maritimum. Linn. Sp. P I. p . 483. Huds. Angl. p . 152. L ig h t/. Scot. p . m .
With. Bot. A r r . cd. 4. ml. 2 .p . 352. Oed. FI. Dan. t. 306. Hoffin. Germ. ed. 2.
ml. 1. P . I. p. 174. Willd. Sp. P I. vol. 2. p. 265. Smith FI. B r it. p . 398. Engl.
Bot. t. 255. Decand. FI. F r. ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 192. FI. Galt: Syn. p. 157. Pers. Syn.
® o /.l.p.396. A i tm B o r t .K e m . e i . i .m l . i . p .S i S . Wahl. FI. Lapp. p. 91. N uttall
PL Amer. vol. 1. p. 237.
GRAMEN marinum spicatum. Sea Spiked-grass. R a il Syn. p . 435.
Dan. Salting. Dut. Driepeurtgras. Fr. Jonc fa u x . Germ. Das Sabzgras. Hung. Savaryils
Hutza. Norw. Havsalting. Swed. Hassalting. Welsh. Saethbenig y m orfa.
Class a n d Order. H EX A N D R IA T R IG Y N IA .
[N atural Order. JU N C A G IN EÆ , Richard. ALISMACÈÆ, Decand. Brawn. JU N C I, / m ]
Gen. Char. Periantkium hexaphyllum, deciduum, foliolis concavis, tribus interioribus altius insertis. Stamina
sex, brevissima. Antheree posticæ, subsessiles. Ovaria tria ad sex, monosperma. Styli breves. Stigmata
adnata. Capsules très ad sex, evalves. Semina erecta. B r .
Ge n . Char. Perianth of six leaves, deciduous, leaflets concave, the three interior ones inserted higher up.
Stamens six, very short. Anthers posterior, subsessile. Ovaries three to six, one-seeded. Styles short. Stigmas
adnate. Capsules three to six, without valves. Seeds erect.
Radix perennis, fibrosa.
Planta- ascendens, basi divisa, squamis majusculis,
ovatis, fuscis, laceratis, foliorum reliquiis, tecta.
Folia spithamæa ad dodrantalem, flexuosa, carnosa,
semicylindrica, inferne longe vaginata, vaginis
membranaceis, viridi-albidis, superne in ligulam
fere semi-unciam longam desinentibus.
Scapus pedalis, compresso-teres.
Flores in racemum elongatum, densum congesti, brevi-
ter pedunculati.
Perianthium hexaphyllum,foliolis late ovatis, obtusis,
fusco-viridibus, valde concavis, tribus superiori-
bus vel interioribus pistillo appressis, tribus infe-
rioribus magis patentibus, inferne gibbosis.
Stamina sex, ut in Tr. palustre, sed Antheræ colore intense
purpureo, dorsi solummodo medio viridi ;
Pollen flavum.
Pistillum ovato-rotundatum, viridi-fuscescens, longi-
tudinaliter sulcatum, ex ovariis sex coadunatis.
Stylus brevissimus.
Stigmata sub capitata, recurva, pilosa.
Percarpium : Fructus ovatus, longitudinaliter sulcatus,
e capsulis sex coadunatis, compresso-triquetris,
dorso convexo, evalvibus.
Semen unicum, oblongum,-subtriquetrum.
Root perennial, fibrous.
Plant ascending, dividèd at the base, which is covered
with large ovate brown lacerated scales, the remains
of leaves.
Leaves from six to nine inches long, fleshy, semicylin-
drical, sheathing for some distance below, the
sheaths membranaceous, greenish white, above
terminating in a ligule nearly half an inch long.
Scape a foot long, round, slightly-flattened.
Flowers collected in an elongated, dense "raceme, upon
short footstalks.
Perianth of six leaves, the leaflets broadly ovate, obtuse,
brownish-green, very concave, the three superior
or inner ones appressed to the pistil, the
three lower ones more patent, gibbous below.
Stamens six, as in Tr. palustre, but the Anthers of an
intense purple colour, on the middle of the back,
alone, marked with green; Pollen yellow.
Pistil between ovate and round, greenish-brown, longitudinally
furrowed, consisting o f six confluent
ovaries.
Style very short.
Stigmas subcapitate, recurved, hairy.
Pericarp : Fruit ovate, longitudinally furrowed, composed
of six united capsules, compresso-trique-
trous, convex on the back, without valves.
Seed single, oblong, subtriquetrous.
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Petal including its anther. Fig. 3. Anther when burst. Fig. 4. Pistil. Fig. 5. The
same cut open horizontally. Fig. 6. Ovary. Fig. 7. Ovary cut open to show the ovule. Fig. 8. Fruit, or cluster
o f capsules. Fig. 9. Single capsule. Fig. 10. Capsule cut open to show the seed.— A ll mpre or less magnified.
This species flowers about the same time as the Triglocliin palustre, and is as common in salt marshes as that
is in inland ones. At Southwold, Suffolk, where I gathered the specimens here published, a great extent of ground
is covered with this plant almost to the exclusion of any other. I t has however little beauty to boast, and is but
an humble weed in comparison with the two species of Statice, the S. Armeria (Thrift) and S. Limonium, which
almost always accompany it. Yet the botanist who is not discouraged by the mean appearance of a plant from
examining minutely into the works of nature, will find much to admire in the structure of the flowers both of this and
of the only other British species of Triglochin. The leaves of the perianth, which have the three inner ones placed
somewhat considerably above the three outer ones, are singularly convex, and each has its cavity exactly filled up
by the sessile anther. Nor is the direction of the anther similar to that usual in most flowers, for the back of
it is here placed next the pistil, and the front next the petal. The anthers of the lowermost range are the first to
discharge the pollen, and the cases become shrivelled long before the petals, and while the upper ones are still in
perfection. As the stigma is raised considerably above the anthers, and the flower is erect, in all probability the
pollen of the superior flowers is destined to fertilize those beneath them.
This is abundantly distinguished from the T r. palustre by. the different form of the fruit, and the number of
capsules of which that fruit is composed. Here they are six, probably the true number, and the idea of Gajrtner
respecting the three abortive capsules of the other species is hence considerably confirmed. Another striking difference
is, that in the Tr. maritimum the capsules do not separate from the base and continue suspended by their
upper part, as is the case in the T r. palustre.
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