398 MR. F. N. WILLIAMS : REVISION 
MS. description of the Linnean specimen. Linneus’s brief 
description (Sp. Plant. ed. IL.) is:—“ Arenaria foliis subulatis, 
caulibus paniculatis, calyeum foliolis ovatis obtusis" ; which is 
not particularly characteristic. In ‘ Mantissa Plantarum’ he 
cites as a synonym “ Alsine arenaria: foliis subulatis, inferioribus 
longissimis," from Gmelin, Fl. Sibir. iv. p. 157, t. 63. f. 2; and 
this figure exaetly represents the specimen in the Linnean her- 
barium. Fenzl then is wrong in separating the two plants, of 
whieh he refers one (the Linnean specimen) to 4. longifolia 
(“fide speciminis cum Linneano comparati"), and refers the 
other (Gmelin's figure) to A. graminifolia(—Fenzl, in Ledeb. Fi. 
Rossiea, i. pp. 362, 363). The two plants are identical, and, 
judging from the Linnean specimen, they could neither of them 
belong to A. longifolia, Bieb. In this specimen the sepals are 
quite plane and in no way carinate. In this respect, as in many 
other characters (few-flowered cymes, very obtuse sepals, oboval 
petals somewhat exceeding the calyx), it nearly agrees with 
A. graminifolia, though it cannot well be reduced to it. But it 
differs from the latter in its three contracted cymes with 
shortened pedicels, which gives it a different aspect, and also in 
its evidently smaller flowers. The arrangement and aspect of 
the flowers is almost exactly that of Stellaria Holostea. Linneus 
gives as the geographical range, Germany, Switzerland, France, 
and Siberia. But though the last is correct, the distribution of 
true A. sagatilis in Europe includes Croatia, Transylvania, 
Roumania, and Central and Southern Russia; and in other 
countries the somewhat similar specimens should be referred to 
A. graminifolia. 
As Gay himself suggests, the proper authority as W ll as type 
for this species is the actual specimen in the Linnean Herbarium. 
In the second edition of ‘Sp. Plantarum’ seven synonyms al 
given. In Gay's MSS. in the Kew Herbarium they are " 
referred to other species: taking them in the order 10 whic 
they are given they may be disposed of as follows :—(1) Alene 
setacea, Mert. et Koch; (2) Alsine mucronata, Linn. ; (3) Asin 
verna, Wahlenb., though Linnæus in ‘ Mant. Plant. P " 
transferred this synonym to Arenaria verna; (4) Vaillan 
specimen is Alsine setacea, and Haller’s specimen is Alsine 
(5) Alsine mucronata; (6) Alsine verna ; (7) possibly Alsin 
Jolia, Crantz, but uncertain. 
verna; 
e tenui- 
