82 BRITISH LEPIGONA. [Mavch, 



of what seems to be the same plant, from the vicinity of the 

 ' salt-springs of Winsford/ also in Cheshire. 



In the shape, smoothness, and colour of its seeds, this Cheshire 

 Lepigonum is very closely allied to L. marinum, Wahlb., the L. 

 marginatum, DC, differing however from that species by its 

 more slender habit of growth, its smaller flowers and capsules, 

 and by producing two kinds of seeds (winged and wingless) in 

 the same capsule. The root appears to be annual; and, if one 

 may judge from Mr. Hunt^s dried specimens, the petals are 

 shorter than the calyx, and of a bright pink colour at the top. 

 The peduncles are rather long and reflected, and are supported 

 by fully developed leaves, instead of short bracts, as in L. mari- 

 num. The seeds also of the Lepigonum from Timperley, are 

 much smaller than in L. marinum, of a bright brown colour, in- 

 clining to reddish; in shape compressed, suborbicular, with the 

 border little marked, and perfectly glabrous. A few winged 

 seeds occur, but most are apterous. 



I cannot resist the conclusion that this is the plant called Le- 

 pigonum salinum by Fries, the Spergularia salina of Presl; and 

 from its station in the vicinity of saltworks, the name seems suf- 

 ficiently appropriate. 



It is to be observed that Brebisson, in the third edition of his 

 ' Flore de la Norm audi e,^ mentions Lepigonum salinum as grow- 

 ing in salt-marshes bordering on the sea, so that it would be well 

 to look for the plant in similar localities on our side of the 

 Channel. Besides Lepigonum salinum, Brebisson gives, as occur- 

 ring in the seaside meadows of Normandy, the true Lepigonum 

 medium of Fries, a plant which I believe has not yet been dis- 

 covered in England. 



In the Isle of Wight I have found Lepigonum neglectum of 

 Kindberg growing abundantly along embankments, and at the 

 foot of walls bordering on the sea, as well as in the drier parts 

 of salt-marshes. There can be little doubt that this plant will 

 be found widely distributed in Britain, it having usually received 

 the name of Arenaria media from English botanists. Lepigonum 

 neglectum resembles L. rabrum, and, like it, has seeds studded 

 with concentric rows of points or tubercles. At the same time 

 L. neglectum is easily distinguished by its much stouter habit of 

 growth, by its short, entire, and dull-coloured stipules, by its 

 peduncles being supported by short bracts instead of leaves, by 



