PINK FAMILY 77 



of which are rather difficult to separate from corn ; less common 

 than formerly. — Fl. June — August. Annual. 



5. Sagina (Pearl-wort). — Very small tufted plants with awl- 

 shaped leaves united at their bases ; small stalked tetramerous or 

 pentamerous flowers ; petals shorter than the sepals, sometimes 

 minute or absent; ovu/es many. (Name in Latin signifying 

 fattening meat^ totally inapplicable to these minute plants.) 



"^ Sepals, stamens, styles, and valves of capsules 4: 

 petals minute or absent 



1. S. maritima (Sea Pearl-wort). — A creeping, ascending, 

 glabrous plant ; stem slender and forked, with long internodes, 

 brittle, often reddish ; leaves fleshy, blunt or apiculate ; pedicels 

 erect ; sepals broad, blunt, with incurved tips, sub-erect in fruit. — 

 Sea-shores ; common. — Fl. May — September. Annual. 



2. S. apetala (Annual Pearl-wort). — Bratiches slight, hairy, 

 ascending ; leaves linear, awned, ciliate at the base ; pedicels erect ; 

 sepals blunt, spreading in fruit in the form of a cross. — Dry places. 

 — Fl. May — September. Annual. 



3. S. cilidta (Ciliate Pearl- wort). — Nearly glabrous, prostrate ; 

 leaves linear, awned, ciliate ; sepals adpressed to the ripe capsule. 

 — Heaths and dry places. — Fl. May, June. Annual. 



4. S. prociimbens (Procumbent Pearl-wort). — Glabrous, pros- 

 trate ; branches spreading from 

 a central rosette ; leaves usually 

 fascicled, linear, awned ; pedi- 

 cels curved downwards after 

 flowering, but afterwards erect ; 

 sepals sometimes 5, spreading 

 in fruit. — Well known to gar- 

 deners as a troublesome and 

 prolific weed in gravel paths. — 

 Fl. all the summer. Perennial. 



5. S. Bbydii (Braemar Pearl- 

 wort). — Glabrous, densely sagixa proclmbens, atid%. apetala. 

 tufted, forming cushions ; in- 



ternodes very short ; leaves recurved ; peduncles short, erect ; sepals 

 4 or 5, always erect ; petals absent ; capsule globose. — A very 

 distinct form, found in Braemar. Perennial. 



"^^ Sepals, petals, styles, and valves of capsules usually 5 : 

 stamens 10 : petals at least half as long as sepals. 



6. 6". saginoides (Alpine Pearl-wort) distinguished from S. 

 prociimbens by its longer petals, 10 stame?is and sepals adpressed 



