178 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



hairy, with scarioii.s stipules. Flowers minute, numerous, in axillary 

 glomerules alontr the stem and branches. 



This genus of plants obtained its name from the supposed efficacy of the species in 

 curing hernia. 



SPECIES I.— HERN I ARIA GLABRA. Linn. 

 Plate MCLXXI. 



Root slender. Stems numerous from the crown of the root, spread- 

 ing, herbaceous, not rooting at the base, nearly straight, regularly 

 branched, branches spreading alternately, distichous, diminishing in 

 size nearly regularly to^vards the apex of the stem. Leaves oblong- 

 oval or oblong-oblanceolate, attenuated towards the base. Stipules 

 dirty white, rather small. Flowers subsessile, in axillary clusters. 

 Calyx segments obtuse, glabrous. Stigmas divergent. Plant glabrous, 

 with the stem and branches clothed with minute reflexed hairs all 

 round ; leaves wholly glabrous, or sometimes ciliated at the margms. 



On sandy and gravelly connnons, and borders of fields. Very rare. 

 The only specimens I have are from near Six-mile Bottom, Cambridge, 

 from the Rev. W. W. Newbould. There are also specimens in Mr. 

 H. C. Watson's herbarium from near NarborouQ;h, Norfolk. It is 

 probable that the plants from Wilsford, Lincoln, from Suffolk, and 

 the one formerly found on Finchley Common, all belong to this species. 

 All the Cornish and Guernsey specimens which I have seen must be 

 referred to H. ciliata, but Professor Babington says H. glabra occurs at 

 Kuan ]\Iinor, Cornwall. 



England. Annual or Biennial (Perennial?). Late Summer, 



Autumn. 



Root a slender taproot, giving off numerous prostrate stems, 3 to 12 

 inches long, which spread in all directions and are nearly straight, not 

 at all suffrutescent at the base, if indeed the plant be not always bien- 

 nial ; branches spreading, all much shorter than the stem, diminishing 

 in size from near the base to the apex, so that each stem Avith its 

 branches forms an irregular triangle. Leaves opposite, ^ to ^ inch 

 long, gradually attenuated from a little beyond the middle to the base. 

 Flowers about yL inch across, crowded in clusters in the axils of the 

 leaves on the stem and lateral branches; the clusters on the short 

 branches towards the apex of the stem usually confluent. 



Professor Bal^ington says that the stem of this plant is usually 

 rooting, but it is not so in the British or foreign specimens I have 

 had an opportunity of examining : perhaps it roots only late in the 

 year. I have little doubt it ought to be joined as a subspecies with 

 A. hirsuta, of which it has perfectly the habit and branching, and only 



