88 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



numerous and short, and it has the flowering stems less elongated 

 at the base than in var. a. 



Var. 7, at least, is probably a distinct sub-species, as it retains 

 its short broad leaves and sepals when cultivated. 



It is very doubtful if any of these be the C. latifolium of Linnteus. 

 The plant usually so named by the botanists of the Continent 

 (except those of Scandinavia) is that which Dr. Walker Arnott names 

 C. glaciate (Gaud.) ; though this name seems to belong only to the 

 small state found at the highest elevations on the Alps. Tliis 

 Continental plant (C. latifolium, Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. 

 Vol. yi. Tab. CCXXXI. Fig. 4975) has broadly-elliptical leaves 

 tapering at each end, and much thicker in texture, the whole plant 

 more closely covered with a stiff pubescence of spreading hairs ; the 

 seeds twice as large as in the British C. latifolium, dark l)rown ; and 

 the barren shoots are very few and straggling, but in other respects 

 similar to those of C. latifolium of British authors. 



C. latifolium of Scandinavian authors (judging from specimens 

 received from the late Professor Blytt) is precisely the same as var. 

 described above, which Mr. Backhouse accordingly takes as the type, 

 and considers our var. a as a distinct species. The seeds of both 

 these forms, however, are quite alike, and so are those of the remark- 

 able form from Shetland. I suspect that Beichenbach's figure of 

 C. alpinum, quoted above with a mark of doubt under C. alpinum 

 var. 3, may really represent Smith's C. latifolium. 



Broad-leaved Alpine Chickiceed. 



I''rench, Ceraiste d, Larges FeuiUes. 



SPECIES IX.— CERASTIUM ARVENSE. Linn. 



Plate CCXXV. 



Jieich. Ic. Fl. Gerra. et Helv. Vol. VI. Canjoph. Tab. CCXXXIV. CCXXXV, 

 Figs. 4980, 4981, 4982. 



Boot perennial. Rootstock much branched, producing numei'ous 

 prostrate and generally much elongated barren shoots and erect or 

 ascending nearly straight flowering stems. Leaves of the barren 

 shoots varying from oblanccolate to narrowly strap-shaped, atten- 

 uated at the base ; those of the floAvering stems varying from ellip- 

 tical to narrowly linear-lanceolate. First pair of bracts very miich 

 smaller than the stem-leaves, lanceolate, with rather narrow mem- 

 branous margins ; secondary bracts very much shorter than the 

 flowering pedicels, witb broad membranous margins. Flowers 

 generally numerous. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, rather obtuse, with 

 broad membranous margins, the herbaceous part with numerous 

 very short gland-tipped hairs, or sometimes longer articulated hairs 



