CARYOPHYLLACE^. 93 



out fascicles of leaves in their axils. Flowers in erect panicles, 

 on filiform, erect pedicels, "vvhich surpass the bracts. Sepals lan- 

 ceolate, subulate, with scarious margins. Petals much shorter 

 than the sepals. Capsule conical, cylindrical, triangular at the 

 apex, longer than the sepals. Seeds minute, with a dorsal furrow, 

 finely shagreened. 



Chalky and sandy fields. Aimual; June-September. Near 

 Streatly, Berks. 



A. verna, Jacq. Vernal Sandwort. — e.b. 512. l.b.s. 180. 

 A. 12. C. 25. Lat. 50-58°. Alt. 0-850 yds. Tern. 53-38°. 



Root perennial, slightly woody, producing tufts of leaves and 

 barren shoots. Stems erect or ascending, rigid, wiry, glabrous 

 below, pubescent above, forked, leafy. Leaves of the barren 

 shoots linear, subulate, more or less curved ; leaves of the stem 

 (bracts) very short, triangular, with scarious margins, 4-5 times 

 shorter than the pedicels. Pedicels erect, much longer than the 

 calyx, pubescent-glandular. Calyx ovate. Sepals ovate, acumi- 

 nate, longer than the petals. Claw of petals very short. Cap- 

 sule longer than the sepals. Seeds brown, finely shagreened. 



Mountainous pastures on limestone. Perennial ; June-Sept. 



A. rubella, Wahl. Reddish Sandwort. — e.b.s. 2638. l.b.s. 

 181. 



A. 2. C. 2. Lat. 56-59°. Alt. 850-1.300 yds. Tern. 38-34°. 



Stems numerous, matted, downy, mostly one-flowered, 2-3 

 inches long, with 1-3 pairs of leaves. Leaves linear-subulate, 

 blunt, 3-nerved. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, with 

 a membranous margin. Petals obovate, attenuated below, shorter 

 than the sepals (Babington, from whose description this account 

 is drawn up). Styles 3-5. Valves of capsule 3-5. 



Summits of the Scottish mountains, very rare. Perennial; 

 July-September. 



Smith says that the solitary flowers constitute the chief differ- 

 ence between this and A. verna, to which he at one period re- 

 ferred it. We have never noticed A. verna densely tufted, as 

 Smith tells us this species is. 



Var. media. — Root woody. Stems numerous, thickly covered 

 with glandular hairs. Leaves tipped with a minute horny point. 

 Seeds with a thickened rough border. 



Cliff' at Tenby. Slate at Ilfracombc. Limestone, Plymouth 

 and Torquay. Mr. F. J. A. Hort in Phytol., Nov. 1848. 



