134 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



probably it was there in such instances before the 

 plough was ever at work, for it is a distinctly native 

 plant. It occasionally occurs on dry grass heath, 

 and, like some other sand plants, is found also upon 

 the chalk or calcareous soils on chalk pasture. I 

 have found it on the summits of the knolls of hills 

 rising to 700 ft. on calcareous sandstones. 



This plant has a tufted habit with ascending stems 

 and branches, and is hairy all round the stem, which 

 is much-branched, the branches wiry, interwoven and 

 prostrate, the flowering branches ascending. The 

 leaves are crowded below, narrow, linear to lance- 

 shaped, smooth or slightly clammy. 



The flowers are large, white, three to fourteen, in 

 loose, forked panicles or cymes, on long stalks. The 

 calyx is shorter than the petals, and the sepals are 

 rather acute, oblong to lance-shaped, glandular, with 

 membranous tips and margins. The fruit-stalks are 

 erect, bent just below the calyx. The bracts have 

 membranous tips and margins and are lance-shaped. 

 The capsule is oblique or inclined, longer than the 

 calyx at length, the seeds small with acute tubercles. 



The flowers open in April, and may be found as 

 late as August. The plant is a herbaceous perennial. 

 It is 6 to 10 in. high. 



The honey is half-concealed. The flower and its 

 mechanism resemble that of Greater Stitchwort {vide 

 Introductory Volume). In addition to hermaphro- 

 dite or bisexual flowers, some others occur in which 

 the stamens are rudimentary. The honey-glands are 



