78 



ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Section II.— ORTHODOX. Seringe, in D. 0. 



Calyx with the sepals not acuminated. Petals ohovate, hifid ; or 

 oblong and more or less distinctly notched at the apex. Stamens 

 10, 8, 5, or 4. Styles 5 or 4. Capsule generally exserted, and more 

 or less distinctly curved, opening at the apex by twice as many 

 erect teeth as there are styles. Generally pubescent or woolly 

 plants, Avith the inflorescence in dichotomous cymes. Petals some- 

 times very short or abortive. Leaves firm and rather thick. 



SPECIES ir.—CERASTIUM TETR ANDRUM. Curt. 



Plate CCXVIII. 



C. iitrovirens, Bah. Reich. Ic. Fl. Genu, et Helv. Vul. V. Caryoph. Tab. CCXXVIII. 



Fig. 4969. (Exclude C. puniilum, Curtis.) 

 C. tetraiulrum, Bah. Man. Brit. Bot. ed. v. p. 56. Hoolc. k Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. 



p. 72. Koch, Syc. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 133. 

 C. pumilum, Gr. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. I. p. 269 (uon Curt.). Boreau, Fl. dii Centre 



dela Fr. ed. iii. Vol. II. p. 112. 

 Sagina cerastoides, Sm. Eng. Bot. No. 166. 



Hoot annual. Stems diffusely branched, ascending or decum- 

 bent. Stem-leaves oval or oblong-oval. Pirst pair of bracts* as large 

 as the stem-leaves ; secondary bracts oval, shorter than the flow- 

 ering pedicels ; all entirely herbaceous. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, with membranous margins, the herbaceous part covered 

 with rather short gland-tipped hairs and a few simple articulated 

 ones. Petals about equal to the sepals, oblong, notched at the 

 apex, with several branched veins. Pruit-stalks longer than the 

 calyx, erect, very rarely recurved or refiexed at any stage of their 

 growth. Capsule about as long as the sepals, nearly straight, erect, 

 in a straight line with the pedicel. 



On sandy seashores, dry banks, walls, and rocks, llather common 

 on the coast. Common in tlie North of Ireland and in Scotland, 

 extending to Orkney and Shetland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Summer. 



Plant dividing into numerous branches at the crown of the 

 root ; branches 3 to 12 inches long. Lowest leaves oblanceolate ; 

 stem-leaves variable in shape, but usually oval, acute ; the uppcr- 



* I. e., the pair of leaves from the axils of which the firat lateral branches of the 

 diuholomous cyme arc given oil'. 



