HISTORY OF ESSEX BOTANY.
181
" 2. Limonium medium Anglicum. The Colchester Marsh Buglosse. This
other sort is like unto the former, but lesser in leaves, and lower in stalkes,
being little more than a foote high, the flowers are of the same colour with it,
and almost as great, but the roote being reddish is much lesse . . . The
second is of our owne Land found out by Doctor Lobel, in the fieldes neere the
Sea by Colchester."
The "former" is undoubtedly Statice limonium L. When
Gibson writes "Gerard's figure seems quite as like 5. bahusiensis ;
but he does not distinguish the plants" (Flora p. 252), he, pre-
sumably from his reference, refers to Johnson's figure (Ger. em.
p. 411) and not to Gerard's (Herbal, p. 332), though neither, to
my mind, much resemble the species we now know as S. rariflora
Drej. On this smaller form Ray writes (Synopsis Methodica Stir-
pium Britannicarum, ed. i., 1690, p. 61).
" Aliam speciem Limonii a Lobelio inventam in agris Colcestrensibus
prope mare memorat Parkinsonus : Gerardus quoque Limonium minus a se
observatum scribit in clivis maritimis insulae Thanet prope Margate. Nos
unicam duntaxat speciem in Anglia spontaneam observavimus, quae tamen
magnitudine insigniter variat ratione loci in quo oritur ; major scilicet quae in
palustribus salsis, minor quae in clivis & rupium fissuris."
In the Appendix furnished by Petiver to the second edition
of the Synopsis (1696), p. 342, however, appears the following
addition :—
" Limonium minus a D. Dre. Plukenet in Anglia repertum & collectum
hoc anno florens a me conspectum in Horto Regio S. Jacobi, a vulgari majore
manifeste distinctum esse agnovi, non solum quod minus sit, sed quod folia
alis continuentur usque ad radicem, adeo ut folia pediculis carere dici possint ;
Doody."
In the third or Dillenian edition of the Synopsis (1724), p.
202, whilst Ray's original statement of his belief that there is
but one British species stands unmodified, this note of Doody's
follows it, with the addition.
" Dood. Syn. II. 342. Prope Harwich. Limonium minus maritimum
nostras Pluk. Alm. 220. Limonium parvum Ger. 332. Ent. 411. At Rams-
gate in Kent. Mr. Dale."
This Ramsgate specimen is in the British Museum
Herbarium and is S. occidentalis Lloyd. The Dillenian Synopsis
then adds this third species :—
*3. Limonium Anglicum minus, caulibus ramosicribus, floribus in spicis
rarius sitis if. Hist. III. 247. I found this on the Sea-banks, by the Tide-mill
at Walton in Essex, and the same (only larger) on the Sea-banks of the Marsh
on the left hand of the Road from Heybridge to Maldon in the same County ;
Mr. Dale. Found also by Mr. Sherard and Mr. Rand, at the Mouth of the
River that runs from Chichester. Folia longiora sunt & magis acuminata,
serius etiam floret Casteris speciebus flores magis umbellatim dispositi sunt
& densius stipati ; D. Doody.