430 HEKNIARIA. l^'^ss v. ordek ii. 



clilorinc gas in llie inanufactoiiiig of clihuitle ol' liino, is readily made 

 into carbonate of soda, and at a mucli lower price than it can be 

 afforded for by the former process of making it from S-ilsola and 

 oilier like plants: coDsci[ueully its growth is now much less attended 

 to than formerly. 



GENUS XCII. HERNIA'RIA.— Linn. Rupture-wort. 



Nat. Old. Parony'ciiie^. St. Hil. 



Gen. Char. Cali/x fne-partitc, slightly coloured within, persistent. 

 Stamens five, alternating with live filiform entire petals, sometimes 

 wanting. Styles very short, or wanting. Stigmas obtuse. Cap- 

 sule membranous, indehescent, single seeded, covered by the calyx. 

 — Named from the supposed use of the plants iu the cure of 

 Jlernia. 

 1. IJ. glabra, Linn. (Fig. 494) smooth Rupture-tiort. Lfavcs 

 elliptic, oblong, attenuated at the base, smooth ; flowers about ten, in 

 crowded axillary clusters; calyx smooth. 



English Botany, I. 206. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 8. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 144.— Lindley, Synopsis, p. 61. 



/3. hirsuta. Stem, leaves, and calyx, more or less clothed with hairs. 

 //. hirsuta, Linn. — English Botany, t. 1379. — English Flora, vol. 

 ii p 9._Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 144.— Lindley, Synopsis, 

 p,61. 



Root tapering, long, with deep branched fibres. Stems numerous, much 

 branched, laying prostrate upon the ground, round or slightly angular, 

 smooth, sometimes hairy, leafy, slender, occasionally putting out roots 

 from the axis of the leaves. Leaves opposite, ovate-oblong, attenuated 

 at the base into a very short footstalk, with a mid-rib and two obscure 

 lateral ones, smooth, or more generally the margin is fringed with 

 while transparent hairs, the floral leaves alternate, mostly narrower 

 than the others. Stipules between the leaves, large, ovate, acute, with 

 a ciliated margin, pale, thin, white, momlnanous. Flou-ers small, 

 pale green or yellowish, sessile, about ten, in crowded clusters in the 

 axil of the leaves, or opposite to them. Calyx of live ovate acute 

 segments, green, somewhat striated, concave within, and slightly 

 coloured at the base, the margin with a pale narrow border. Petals 

 five, narrow, pale, thin, awl-shapcd, alternating with the five s^amr/js 

 on Jilaments, shorter than the calyx, and with ovale rather large yellow 

 anthers. Both the petals and stamens are inserted into a fleshy disk 

 at the base of the calyx. Styles very short, or wanting. Stiymas 

 small, obtuse. Capsule enveloped in the persistent calyx, oblong, 

 acute, formed of a memluanoiis covering indehescent, single seeded. 

 Seed small, roundish, shining Mack. 



