CLASS X. ORDER III. J ALSINE. 631 



limb of five slender ovate acute teeth, pinkish, cylindrical when in 

 flower, club-shaped in fruit. Petals small, with a long tapering claw, 

 the limb small, inversely heart-shaped, of a more or less deep purple 

 colour, sometimes white, having a crown at the base of two narrow 

 lanceolate scales. Stamens with &\e\i^ex filaments , of unequal lengths.. 

 Anthers purple, oblong. Styles with slender downy stigmas. Capsule 

 ovate, on a long pedicle. Seeds numerous, small, brown, kidney- 

 shaped. 



Habitat.— Bd^nks of the Dee, half a mile from Chester; but a 

 doubtful native. 



Annual; flowering in July and August. 



ft appears probable that this species has escaped from the garden 

 nor does it seem to have been found anywhere but in the above station, 

 though it is not unfrequent on the Continent as an annual border 

 flower. Jt has long been cultivated, and is a pretty showy plant. 



GENUS XII. ALSI'NE.-Wahlenberg. Alsine. 

 Nat. Ord.* CARropHYL'LEiE. Juss. 

 Gen. Char. Calyx of five, rarely of four pieces. Petals five, rarely 

 four, entire, or slightly notched. Stamens ten, some of which are 

 occasionally abortive. Filaments subulate. Styles three. Cap- 

 sules three valved, of one cell, many seeded. Name from aXo-oc 

 a shady place ; where the Alsine usually grows. ' 



* This, and several of the following genera, are forn:ed by some authors 

 into a separate order, the Alsine^, De Cand., and are divided in the following 

 manner by Dr. Koch. ° 



1. Valves of the capsules the same number as the styles, 



1. BuFFONiA. Capsule with two valves. 



2. Alsine Capsule with three valves, filaments all subulate, the outer ones 



with a short gland at the base. 



3. Cheleria. Capsule with three valves, the outer filaments with an oblong 



emarginate gland at the base. ® 



4. Sagina. Capsule with four valves. 



5. Spergula. Capsule with five valves. 



2. Valves of the capsules twice the number of the styles. 



ariilulf' ^'^'"'^ ""''^ "'' '"'"''' P''''' ^"'''■^' '^^^' ^'^^°"t a° 



'• ^'Z^ZZ'rUiy^''^'''' '"" '°"^ ^° '''''''''' petals entire, seeds 



8. IIoLosTEUM Capsule with six valves, petals toothed. 



9. Stellakia. Capsule with six valves, petals bifid or bipartite. 



10. McENCHiA. Capsule with eight valves, petals entire. 



11. ^^--CHiuM. Capsule with ten valves, (or rather of five bifid valves), 



petals bifid or emarginate. 



12. Cerastium. Capsule with ten valves, petals bifid or emarginate, (in 



C. tetrandrum capsule eight valved). 



