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A T R I P L E X portulacoides.
Shrubby Orache, or Sea Purjlanc.
P O L Y G A M I A Moncecia.
G en. Char. H e rm a p h r . Cal. 5-J eaved. Cor. non e .
Stam. 5 . Style c lo v e n . Seed 1 , dep re ffed .
F e rn . Cal. 2 - le a v e d . Cor. n on e . Style c lo v en .
Seed 1 , com p re ffed .
Spec. Char. S tem Ih ru b b y . L e a v e s o b o v a te .
Syn. A t r ip le x p o r tu la co id e s . Linn. Sp. PI. i 4 9 , .
HudJ. FI. An. 4 4 2 . With. Bot. Arr. 1 1 4 2 . Relb.
Cant. 3 7 8 .
A . m a r it im a fru t ic o fa , H a lim u s e t P o r tu la c a
marina d ic ta , a n g u ft ifo lia . Rad Syn. 1 5 3 .
A b u n d a n t on the fea fhore In a clay foil, flowering
in the latter part of fummer.
The roots are long, woody, creeping and perennial. Stems
ihrubby, branched, fpreading, about 1 or 2 feet high, round
below, quadrangular above, clothed with oppofite entire
leaves, which vary in fliape, being occafionally obovate or
lanceolate. Denfe clutters of flowers in compound fpikes
terminate the ftem and branches, and the lowermoft fpikes
generally anfe from the bofoms of 2 or 3 alternate leaves.
One kind of flowers have yellowilh antheræ, and a green regular
5-cleft calyx, turning yellow in decay; we have not
obferved any germen or ftyle in thefe. The other kind are
female, with 2 red downy ftigmas, and a calyx of 2 equal
valves. It is poflible that hermaphrodite flowers may be occafionally
intermixed.
The whole plant is of a filvery glaucous hue, not inelegant.
The leaves when dry are finely dotted beneath. The juices
abound with alkaline fait.