86 ENGLISU BOTANY, 



bracts about the middle. Flowers bandsome, white, | to 1 inch 

 across or more. Capsule usually with about oue-third of its length 

 projecting beyond the sepals, 1)ut sometimes a little longer or a 

 little shorter. Seeds about -^^y inch across, closely covered M'ith 

 prominent rather acute tubercles, which are puckered all round at 

 the base. Plant growing in tufts, with the barren stems forming 

 a compact mat, clothed with Avhite soft hairs in addition to the 

 short gland-tipped ones, the proportion of the two being variable, 

 the former very numerous in var. a so that the plant appears quite 

 white. 



A glabrous variety occurs in Scandinavia and in Switzerland, 

 but of this I have seen no British specimens. I quote lleichen- 

 bach's figure of C. alpinum with some doubt, as it has more the 

 mode of growth and habit of C. latifolium of British and Scandinavian 

 authors. 



Hairy Aliiinc CJnckweed. 



Frencli, Ccraiste des Alpes. German, Alpaa IlonJcraut. 



srECIES VIIL— C ERASTIUM LATIFOLIUM. ."imlth. 



Plate CCXXIV. 



E-oot perennial. Rootstock producing very numerous ascending 

 barren shoots, and somewhat flexuous ascending flowering stems. 

 Leaves of the barren shoots oblanceolate or obovate, those of the 

 flowering stems elliptical or roundish-oval. First pair of bracts not 

 much smaller than the stem-leaves, ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, 

 entirely herbaceous ; secondary bracts rarely present, elliptical, 

 very much shorter than the flowering pedicels, entirely herbaceous, 

 or sometimes with a very narrow membranous margin. Flowers 

 generally solitary, and rarely more than 2. Sepals ovate-lanceolate 

 or oval-ovate, obtuse, with broad membranous margins ; the herba- 

 ceous part with numerous short articulated hairs and still shorter 

 ones tipped with glands, sometimes the one kind and sometimes 

 the other predominating. Petals twice as long as the sepals, 

 obovate, bifid. Fruit-stalks longer than the calyx, slightly spread- 

 ing. Capsule conical-ovoid, exserted, about one-fourth longer than 

 the sepals, nearly straight, and in an almost continuous straight 

 line with the pedicel. Seeds pale reddisli-browu, with, round the 

 margins of the faces, rather distant slightly-elevated elongated 

 tubercles or short ridges, which are slightly puckered at the sides ; 

 seed-coat adhering ratlier loosely to the seed. Plant with short 

 gland-tipped hairs and slightly longer yellowish stifl' articulated 

 hairs. 



