[ H* ]

SANTOLINA maritima.

Sea Cotton-weed.

STNGENESIA Polygamia-xqualis.

Gen. Char. Recept . chaffy. Down none. Cal. imbri-cated, hemispherical.

Spec. Char. Flower-stalks collected into a corymbus.

Leaves oblong, obtuse, crenated, very downy.Syn. Santolina maritima. Linn. MSS. Hudf. Fl.An. 356. With. Bot. Arr. 886.

Athanasia maritima. Linn. Sp. Pi. 1182. Mant.z. 464.

Gnaphalium maritimum. Rail Syn. 180.

This specimen was gathered last August by Dr. Smith, onthe sea beach, just above high-water mark, a mile to the northof Landguard Fort in Suffolk, where this rare plant grows intolerable plenty, and flowers from the middle of August to thelatter part of September. It occurs also on various parts of oursouthern coast.

The long perennial roots run very deep into the sand, andthrow up several branched bushy stems about a foot high, ex-tremely brittle, round, covered with numerous, alternate, ob-long, almost spatulate, crenate leaves, which, as well as thestem and calyx, are completely invested with a pure white thickcottony web. A corymbus of bright yellow flowers terminatesthe stem and side branches. The calyx is formed of numerousconcave, somewhat membranous, scales; and the hemi-spherical receptacle is set with similar scales, woolly at theirtip. The florets are numerous, all tubular, regular, herma-phrodite and fertile. Seeds oval, curved, compressed, sharp andmembranous at the edge, destitute of wing or down. Every part,especially the flowers, has a strong aromatic scent, like Cost-mary (Tanacetum Balsamita).

Those who go to look for these flowers in July, accordingto the information of authors, will be disappointed. All thefigures of this plant, Miller’s not excepted, are extremely bad.