50 CARYOPHYLLACEyE. 



h. Bo7'ceana. 

 c. II. A form witli apetalous flowers, seemingly this, on the sea-hank 

 above Whitsand Bay, 1879. 



d. umhrosa. 



Common, occurring, I heheve, in every district on hedge-banks, 



certainly in Districts i.-v. Middle of April to beginning of 



June, 



I assign to umhrosa only a plant having the sepals and pedicels quite 



glabrous. Another form with large flowers has the sepals hairy over their 



whole outer surface, and pedicels with a conspicuous line of hairs. These, 



however, are the only differences between it and umhrosa that I have 



been able to discover. There seems to be some confusion as to the vars. 



neglecta and umhrosa / for whilst in English Botany, ed. 3, umhrosa is 



described as having 'pedicels almost glabrous,' in Boreau's Flore du 



Centre de la France, neglecta is said to have ' pedoncules ordinairement 



glabres ainsi que le calice.' 



The typical plant sometimes occurs with umhrosa on hedge-banks. 

 The difference as to the flowering period of the two is very marked. 

 The seeds of the chickweed, as also sometimes those of Cerastium 

 glomeratum, are occasionally quite destroyed by a fungus resembling the 

 ' smut ' of wheat, which will so fill the capsules as to give them a turgid 

 appearance. 



102. S. Holostea, J. Greater Stitchioort ; ^Milkmaids.' 



Native ; on hedge-banks and m bushy places. Very common. 

 March to May, or part of June. Area general. 



Abundantly diffused on the slate and granite, but not so on the lime- 

 stone. By the road between Laira Bridge and Elburton, a distance of 

 two miles over limestone, it occiu's in only one or two spots, and not at 

 all, so far as my observation has gone, between Laira Bridge and Plym- 

 stock. On the other hand, it grows on hedge-banks close to the to^vn of 

 Plymouth, and on Dartmoor, where I have seen it in the Erme valley. 



A curious variety with foliaceous panicles occurs on a hedge-bank by 

 the Plymouth and Tavistock Road, near Fancy. Dr. Boswell describes 

 it as " a curious monstrosity, in which the floAvers are replaced by series 

 of sepal-like organs, arranged in alternate pairs one within the other.'' 

 {Bot. Ex. Cluh Pu'])., 1871, p. 13.) 



103. S. graminea, L. Lesser Stitchwort. 



Native ; on grassy banks and open bushy spots. Very common. 

 June to September. Area general. 

 Occurs close to the town and on Dartmoor. The anthers are sometimes 

 attacked by a parasitic fungus, which destroys the pollen when they are 

 very small and enclosed within the sepals. 



