STATICE CAROLINIANA. Marsh Rosemary. PLATE XXV. THE HE class of vegetables, denominated mari. time, or sea shore plants, are constituted to occupy extensive tracts of ground, which, from their impregnation with sea salt, are incapable of sustaining the life and growth of other species. The muriate of soda, if poured at the roots of the most vigorous plants belonging to a fresh soil, will often destroy them in a short time. Few forest trees of the temperate zones can grow in marshes where their roots are wholly exposed to the access of salt water. Yet such is the wise arrangement of nature, that this substance, which proves a poison to most vegetables, is converted into the food and necessary stimulus of the rest. Maritime plants flourish alike in places visited by the tide, and those im pregnated by the salt springs of the interior. The degree in which they require the presence of the mineral is various, some growing upon the beach, where the earth is saturated with salt, and others at the extreme edge of marshes, where the impreg nation is much less powerful. With a few With a few exceptions, they cannot long be cultivated in fresh earth, but soon decay when removed from their native marshes. Maritime plants derive a peculiar character from their place of growth, which distinguishes them even when dry from other vegetables. The salt with which they are impregnated crystallizes on their surface in dry weather; and deliquesces so as to render them damp and supple, when the atmosphere is moist. These plants are troublesome in an herbarium from the facility with which they contract moisture from the atmosphere, and communicate it to the adjacent papers. The hay cut upon salt marshes often becomes extremely damp, and would be entirely spoiled, were it not for the antiseptic and preservative quality of the salt. The barilla of commerce is obtained by the combustion of maritime vegetables. Many of these plants are thick and fleshy in their mode of growth, and differ remarkably in this respect from their co-species on dry ground. This is particularly seen in Arenaria, Gerardia, Chenopodium, &c. The vegetable which is the subject of this article is exclusively a maritime plant. It is one of the few ornamental species in our salt marshes, and is very conspicuous for its purple tops appearing among the grass in all the summer months. It varies from a few inches, to a foot and more in height. This species has generally been considered a variety of the Statice limonium, which is a common plant in the salt marshes of Europe. Indeed, several of the maritime species of this genus approach each other so closely in their characters, that they have been considered the same by able botanists. The American plant, to which the name of Caroliniana was given by Walter in his Flora of Carolina, is distinguished from the European principally by its smaller flowers and plain or flat leaves. From the Statice Gmelini, an Asiatic species, it differs apparently still less in its general form. The genus Statice belongs to the class Pentandria and order Pentagynia. Its natural orders are Aggregate of Linnæus and Plumbagines of Jussieu. It is characterized by a calyx monophyllous, plaited and scarious. Petals five with the stamens inserted in their claws. Seed one, invested with the calyx. The species Caroliniana has its scape round and panicled; its leaves obovate-lanceolate, smooth, obtuse, mucronated, and flat on the margin. The root of this plant is perennial, large, fleshy, fusiform or branched. Several tufts of leaves and scapes are often produced from the same root. The leaves are narrow-obovate, supported by long petioles, smooth, veinless, obtuse, mucronated by the prolongation of the middle rib, level and flat on the margin, in which respect they differ from S. limonium, which is undulated. Scape round, smooth, furnished with a few scales, flexuous at top, giving off numerous branches, which end in spikes of flowers; the whole forming a large panicle. The base of each branch and flower is supported by an ovate, mucronated scale. The flowers are alternate, erect, consequently one sided in the horizontal branches; mostly in pairs, but appearing single from one expanding before the other. They grow on a short, forked peduncle, which is concealed by several sheathing scales, part of which are common to the two, and part peculiar to the upper one. The calyx is funnel shaped, five angled, the angles ciliate and ending in long acute teeth with sometimes, not al |