DECANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 289 



Very distinct from .S'. Catesbdsi. but requires further exa- 

 mination. Flowers pale red and of uncommon magnitude. 

 8. antirr/iina. 9. nocturna. \{). acanlis. 



A genus compreliendlng- nearly 100 species, extendin^^ 

 tliroughout Eui-ope and passing- into Barbary, Greece, the 

 Levant, and Siberia; no part of the southern liemisf^here 

 appears to aftbrd any species except the Cape of Good 

 liope. 



SIS. STELLARIA. L, (Stitcliwort.) 



Galix 5-leaved, spreadinj^. Petals 5, bipar- 

 tite. Capsule ovate, 1-ceiled, many- seeded, 

 summit 6-toothed. 



Flowers dichotomal and terminal, white; stems furnish- 

 ed vv'lt!) an elastic centre. 



Species. l.S.pubera. Obs. Perennial. Stem diffuse 

 and decumbent, dichotomous, having a pubescent line on 

 one or two sides. Leaves sessile, ovate-oblong, acute, 

 somewhat undulated, conspicuously pubescent on the 

 margin and under side of the mid-rib towards the base, 

 from 10 to 15 lines long and about 5 broad. Flowers al- 

 ways diciiotomal (or in the forks of the brunches;) pedun- 

 cle pubescent, deflected. Calix pubescent, segments 

 lanceolate-ovate, somewhat acute, with inflated nerves 

 v/hich are often abruptly dichotomous. Petals deeply bi- 

 fid, longer than the calix, siellately expanding:;', large, very 

 obtuse at the base and closely sessile, lobes linear -oblong. 

 Capsule roundish, ovate The whole plant has much the 

 aspect of 5. nemoriim. 2. media. (Chickweed.) Introdu- 

 ced. 3. gramlnea. 4. idiginosa. Smith. Flor. Brit. These 

 2 last species are native, and very common. 



5. * elongate. S.em diffuse and procumbent, pubes- 

 cent; leaves oblong-lanceolate m.-icronulate; peduncles la- 

 teral, and solitary, very long; flowers apetalous. Hab. 

 In Carolina and Georgia. S. long! pednnculata. Dr. Bald- 

 wyn. Obs. Stem extremely long and intricately branch- 

 ed, uniformly pube&cent as well as the peduncles; leaves 

 about 2 lines wide and 8 or 10 long, smooth, attenuated 

 below, terminated by callous points. Peduncles solitary, 

 from 10 to 15 lines. Calix acute, membranaceously mar- 

 gined. Petals none. Styles 3. Capsule 1-celIed, sum- 

 mit 6-!oothed, so that it is not a species of Micropetalon 

 but a Stetlaria which renders that genus unn&tufiil. 



An European genus. 



c c 



