CARYOPHTLLACE^. 89 



not tipped by glands, sometimes the one kind and sometimes the 

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

 bifid. Fruit-stalks much longer than the calyx, sub-erect, curved 

 outwards at the very tip. Capsule ovoid-cylindrical, usually about 

 equal to the calyx, or at least not more than one-fourth longer. 

 Seeds pale reddish-brown, covered with close concentric rings of 

 small prominent smooth tubercles. Stem clothed with short gland- 

 tipped hairs and longer reflexed articulated ones without glands. 

 Leaves more or less hairy, or rarely sub-glabrous. 



Var. a, pubescens. 



Whole plant pubescent, with the leaves rather soft. Cymes 

 from 3- to 10-flowered. 



Var. ^, Andreicsii. 



Leaves sub-glabrous, ciliated, rigid, somewhat recurved, with 

 the midrib very strong and prominent. Cymes usually reduced 

 to a single shortly-stalked flower. 



On dry banks. Var. a rather common, especially in the East 

 of England. More rare in Scotland, although it is found as far 

 North as the counties Elgin and N airn. Var. 0, Great Arran Island, 

 Ireland. 

 England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring and Summer. 



Plant much branched, growing in large tufts, the barren shoots 

 procumbent and rooting, 3 inches to 1 foot long. Flowering stems 

 numerous, rather stiff and straiglit, 3 inches to 1 foot high. Leaves 

 ^ to f inch long, generally narrowly oblong or strap-shaped ; the 

 loAver ones attenuated ])elow', and the upper ones towards the point. 

 Flowers \ to f inch across, white, in very lax dichotomous cymes. 

 Capsule most frequently not exceeding the calyx (particularly in 

 the few-flow^ered states), but in the larger examples it is frequently 

 exserted. Plant light or deep green. Var. a often greyish from the 

 abundance of hairs, and slightly viscid. 



Var. is a curious form, with rigid squarrose crowded leaves and 

 very short peduncles ; it is much more glabrous than the ordinary 

 states, and though the calyx and stem are both slightly hairy, yet 

 the hairs are very short, and on the latter reflexed ; the leaves have 

 merely a few hairs on the margin towards the base. This form has 

 usually been referred to C. strictum (Linn.), but it appears to agree 

 better in its reflexed rigid leaves with his C. suffruticosum, which is 

 the same as C. laricifolium_ (Vill.). It seems to be connected with 

 the typical form by all intermediate states. 



Field Chickioeed. 



French, Ceraiste des Champs. Geniian, Acker Ilornkraul. 

 VOL. II. N 



