410 DECANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. Stellaria. 



near 2 inches long and more than 1 inch broad resembling in its 

 habit the Stellaria nemorum, or the Cerastium aquaticum; dis- 

 tinguishable however from the latter by the number of pistils, 

 , and from the former by the woolly or hairy ridge extending 



along the stem* 



i The great uncertainty in the number of stamens occasions 

 some difficulty to the young botanist. In its truly wild state, in 

 damp woods and hedge bottoms with a northern aspect, what- 

 ever be its size, it has almost always 10 stamens. In dryer soils 

 >and more sunny exposures the stamens are usually 5 or 3 ; and 

 this is also generally the case in gardens, though sometimes 

 flowers are found with only 1 or 2 stamens. The calyx in all 

 these different states is sometimes smooth, sometimes hairy. The 

 other parts of the fructification are very constant/and the capsule 

 opening with 6 valves, compels us to consider it as a species of 

 Stellaria rather than as an Alsine; its further agreement with 

 the former genus will also be evinced by the following descrip- 

 tion. 



a 



i 



Stem, thickest upwards, smooth and cylindrical, except a 



ridge on one, rarely on two sides, and this ridge is 

 woolly. 



af-stalks broad, 

 vex underneath. 



Le 



posite, varying from heart to heart-spear-shaped, 

 and egg-spear-shaped, tapering to a point, smooth, 

 sometimes hairy at the edges. 



Fruitst. mostly terminating, \\ to \ inch long, 1-flow- 



ing downwards after flowering. 



even 



Calyx, 5 -leaved, leqfits concave, between egg and spear- 

 shaped, permanent, either hairy or smooth. 



Bloss. Petals 5, deeply divided, segments flat, betwixt 



spear and egg-shaped, shrivelling. 



Stam. Filaments 10, the 5 outer shorter than the 5 inner 



ones, glandular at the base. Anthers small, oblong, 

 double. 



Pistil, Germen roundish, with 3 blunt corners and 3 



flatted sides. Styles 3, hair-like, expanding, after 

 flowering reflected. Summits simple, blunt. 



S. Vess. Capsule roundish, covered by the calyx closing 



upon it, of 1 cell and 6 valves. 



