8' 



PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA. 

 128. HERNIARIA. Rupture-wort. 



Linn.GenA2\. Juss.89. FLBr.27\. Tourn.t.288. Lam.t. 180. 



Nat. Ord. Holeracece. Linn. 12. Amaranthi. Juss. 30. Ille- 

 cehrece. Br. Pr. 413, Obs. 



Cal. inferior, of 1 leaf, in 5 deep, acute, spreading, perma- 

 nent segments, internally coloured. Cor. none. Filam. 

 5, awl-shaped, shorter than the calyx, opposite to its seg- 

 ments, with 5 intermediate, imperfect ones. Anth. on the 

 former only, each of 2 round lobes. Germeyi superior, 

 ovate. Styles very short. Stigmas pointed. Caps, in- 

 vested with the calyx, membranous, of 1 cell, scarcely 

 bursting, except in an irregular manner. Seed solitary, 

 roundish, polished, pointed, filling the capsule. 



Small plants, with branched, leafy stems; opposite, unequal, 

 entire leaves; membranous stipulas ; and aggregate, axil- 

 lary, small, greenish^ot<u«'5. 



1. H. glabra. Smooth Rupture-wort. 

 Herbaceous. Leaves and calyx smooth. 



H. glabra. Linn. Sp. PL 3 17. JVitld. v. I. 1296. Fl. Br.27l. Engl. 

 Bot. V. 3. t. 206. FL Dan. t. 529. 



Herniaria. RaiiSyn.l&Q. Ger. Em.569.f. Dalech.Hist.l\26.f. 



H. n. 1552. Hall. Hist. V. 2. 255. 



Empetron. Trag. Hist. 527. f. 



Polygonum minus. Matth. Valgr. v. 2. 302. f. Camer. Epit. 690. f. 



Millegrana. Cord. Hist. 98. 2. f. 



In gravelly or sandy ground. 



About the Lizard-point, Cornwall. Ray. Near Newmarket. Rev. 

 Mr. Hemsted. 



Perennial. July, August. 



Root tapering, somewhat woody, and certainly perennial. Sterns 

 numerous, prostrate, much branched, leafy, round, occasionally 

 roughish with prominent, very short, hairs. Leaves obovate, or 

 elliptical, bluntish, obscurely triple-ribbed, on short stalks ; the 

 floral ones mostly alternate j all smooth on both sides. Stipulas 

 lateral, between the leaves, in pairs, minute, pointed, membra- 

 nous. Fl. small, green, in dense, somewhat leafy, clusters, 

 either axillary, or opposite to a solitary leaf. Cal. edged with 

 white. Abortive ^towew^s rather the broadest. Caps, elliptical, 

 pointed, 



