DECANDRIA— PENTAGYNIA. Spergula. 337 



Hofm. Germ, for 1 800. 2 1 3. Khrh . Herb. 7(3. IVahlenh. La} p. 



K58, under n. 249. 

 S. annua, semine foliaceo nigro, circulo membranaceo albo cincto. 



Ddl. in Run S//n. 35 1 . Giss. 4G. Ephcni. Nat. Cur. cent. 5 and 



6. 27 D. t.4.f. i. 

 Aisine marginata. Schreb. Lips. 3 I . 

 A. spergulse facie minima. Magn. Monsp. 14. 

 A. spergulije facie minima, seminibus marginatis. Tourn. List. 244. 



Linnaeus by mi-take always quotes it eniarginalis. 

 A. Spergula annua, semine foliaceo nigro, circulo membranaceo 



albo cincto. Moris, v. 2. 551. sect. 5. t. 23. /. last but one, 



marked 2. IJort. Bles. 228. 

 Arenaria teretifolia verna, flore albo, semine limbo foliaceo cincto. 



Rnpp.Jen. 101. ed. Hall. 113. 

 In sandy corn-fields. 



/6. About the botanic garden, Liverpool. Mr. J. Shepherd. 

 y. In sandy ground in Ireland. Shcrard. 



Annual. June, July. 



Root small, tapering. Stons spreading, lax, from G inches to 2 

 feet in length, moderately branched, jointed, leafy ; round in 

 the lower part ; angular upwards ; hairy and viscid, especially 

 in the upper part ; each branch terminating in a forked, divari- 

 cated, downy, viscid panicle. Leaves numerous at every joint, 

 irregularly and imperfectly whorled, linear, narrow, fleshy, 

 downy, sometimes nearly smooth, bluntish ; flat above ; rounded 

 beneath. Siipulas in pairs under each whorl, membranous, very 

 short. Flower-stalks an inch or more in length, round, slender, 

 downy, spreading ; strongly reflexed as the fruit ripens. Calyx- 

 leaves obtuse, downy, with membranous edges. Pet. white, a 

 little longer than the calyx. Stam. generally 10, often 5, or some 

 intermediate number. Stt/les constantly 5. Caps, longer than 

 tlie calyx, sjjlitting more than half way down into 5 undivided 

 teetli or valves. Seeds numerous, roundish, commonly black, 

 tumid and angular, with an obsolete border, and covered with 

 small tubercles or bristles ; but in (3 they are comj)ressed, 

 smooth, with a narrow whitish membranous border ; and in y 

 they are quite flat, pale with a dark vl\}i;€, and a wliite, mem- 

 branous, striated bordrr, or wing, equal to the seed itself in 

 breadt!). 



I concur with Professor Hooker in considering p as but a slight 

 variety, there being not the smallest difl'ercnce in the size or struc- 

 ture of any part of the plant, except the weds, in whiiii indeed 

 the diflerence is remarkable, liut intermediate appearances 

 may be traced between the round rough angular seeds of the 

 common Spurrey, and the smooth, lenticular, bordered ones of 

 this variety. There is the same diflerence in Jrenarin marina, 

 compared with rubra ; but there are presumed to be other spe- 

 cific marks between these two [)lnnts. On the other hand, Spcr- 



VOI.. II. / 



