54 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



l8. BUFFONIA, L. 



Sepals 4, membranous ; petals 4 ; stamens 4 ; styles 2 ; 

 capsule opening with two valves. Plants of a rush-like 

 habit ; not alpine. 



B, macrosperma, Gay {paniculatUj Del); inflorescence 

 compound, crowded, leaves setaceous; gravelly places; 

 Southern Switzerland, Dauphiny. 



19. Sagina, L. 



Flowers usually small, solitary, on long stalks ; sepals 

 4-5; petals 4-5, often wanting; stamens 4-10; styles 

 4-5 ; capsule opening by 4-5 valves ; leaves subulate, 

 connate at the base. Small caespitose inconspicuous 

 plants. 



A . Sepals and petals usually 4 : — The English species of 

 Pearlwort, 5. procuinbens^ L., with very small petals, and 

 apetaluy L., usually apetalous, are universally diffused. 

 ^. bryoides, Rchb., with ciliate leaves, is probably a 

 mountain variety of procumbens (Tirol, Carinthia), and 

 6". ciliata, Fr. (Southern Switzerland, rare), also with 

 ciliate leaves, a variety of apetala. 



B. Sepals and petals usually 5 : — S. repens, Burn. 

 {glabra^ Koch) ; glandular-hairy, petals I J-2 times as 

 long as sepals ; local ; St. Bernard, Southern Tirol, 

 Dauphiny. vS. Linncety Presl. (Spergula saginoides, L.) ; 

 petals shorter than sepals, capsule as long as sepals ; 

 pastures. vS. macrocarpa, Maly; petals about as long as 

 sepals, capsule twice as long as sepals ; pastures, local. 

 The English species, wS. subulata^ Presl, with the leaves 

 narrowed into a long awn ; and S. nodosa^ FnzL, with 



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