I04 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



almost leafy, tips to the sepals. It is called "Corn- 

 cockle " in England, and is common in cornfields. 



Stella'ria me'dia (Chickweed). — This troiil)lesome 

 weed has l^een introduced from Europe, and occurs 

 frequently in cultivated ground. It has the sepals 

 distinct, no gynophore, and each petal is rather deeply 

 cleft. The number of stamens varies from 10, 8, ;"> 

 to 3, generally 8 to 10 in Cape plants. In England 

 they are usually 3. The corolla varies in size, as in 

 South Europe it is sometimes very large, and the name 

 grandiflo'ra has been given to it, but only as a variety. 

 The petals are generally about as long as the sepals. 

 In some plants the buds never open, especially in 

 cold weather ; but the pollen fertilizes the ovules 

 just as well, as, though in sunny weather insects 

 get a little honey secreted by a honey-gland at the 

 bottom of the filaments, it usually is self-fertilizing, 

 and is one of the most abundant of seed-makers. 



A line^ of hairs runs from leaf to leaf, but on 

 opposite sides of the stem on alternate infernodes — 

 that is, the portion of the stem between each pair of 

 leaves. 



Lepig'onum. — L. margina'tum is a plant with clusters 

 of awl-shaped leaves, and almost transparent scarious, 

 or colourless and dry, stiimles at the nodes. The stem 

 and leaves are covered with glandular hain^} The 



' These arc hairs composed of a single cell, or rows of cells, termi- 

 nated with a globular cell which contains some peculiar fluid. 



