74 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



and alternate ; there are 2 sepals, 5 yellow petals, 

 and from 8 to 15 stamens, often united at the 

 base. There is a single capsule, with many 

 seeds. 



The Water-Chickweed (Montia fontanel), of 

 which there are several slight varieties, is the only 

 truly indigenous British representative of this 

 Order. It is a small plant, growing in tufts, and 

 not exceeding 6 inches in height, growing in or by 

 the side of shallow flowing water. The leaves are 

 opposite, the corolla tubular, with 5 short but 

 unequal white petals, and 3 stamens. The leaves 

 are yellowish green, and the small flowers grow 

 on short stalks, 1, 2, or 3 together, in the axils 

 of the leaves. The seed-capsule explodes when 

 ripe. 



Order XXXIII. Paronychiacea (3 genera) 



These are low plants, growing in sandy places, 

 with trailing branches and small white or greenish 

 flowers, with 5 sepals and 5 petals, which are 

 frequently rudimentary or obsolete, and, if present, 



alternate with as many stamens. There are 2 or 3 

 stigmas, sometimes sessile. 



The species are all scarce or local in England. 

 The best known is the Rupture-wort {Herniaria 

 glabra), which has yellowish-green flowers, with 

 the petals reduced to filaments. 



Order XXXIV. Crassalacece (4 genera) 



The plants of this Order may generally be 

 recognised by their thick fleshy leaves, which are 

 single, and generally opposite. There are from 3 to 

 20 sepals (most frequently 5), more or less united 

 at the base, and as many petals. The stamens 

 are as many, or twice the number. The carpels 

 are equally numerous ; below them stands a small 

 scale. The plants prefer dry sunny situations, and 

 the flowers are generally white, yellow, reddish, or 

 bluish. 



The largest genus includes the Stonecrops 

 (Sedum), and is very numerous on the Continent, 

 chiefly in mountainous regions ; less so in Britain, 

 though we have several British species, chiefly 



