58 CARYOPHYLLEA. [STELLARIA. 



Capsule ovoid, as long as the sepals, pedicel spreading. DISTRIB. Europe. 

 Siberia, W. Asia to the Himalaya, Greenland. 



6. S. erraminea, L. ; glabrous, stem suberect 4-angled, leaves very 

 narrow sessile ciliate, cymes branched, petals about as long as the 3-nerved 

 sepals. 



Meadows, hedgebanks, &c. on a dry soil ; ascends to 1,500 ft. in Yorkshire ; 

 fl. May-Aug. Perennial, not glaucous. Stem, 1-3 ft. Leaves as in <S. 

 fflauca, but ciliate. Flowers ^-jj in. diam., many. Bracts scarious, ciliate. 

 Pedicels reflexed after flowering, then spreading. Sepals acute. O/ /.'/ 

 ovoid, nodding, a little longer than the sepals. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), 

 Siberia, W. Asia to the Himalaya. 8. scapigera, Willd., found by Don 

 in Perth and Inverness-shire, is a cultivated abnormal form of this, with 

 short stems, imbricate leaves, long erect solitary peduncles, and small 

 flowers. 



7. S. nligino'sa, L. ; glaucous, nearly glabrous, stem 4-angled, leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, cymes few-flowered, sepals lanceolate acute, petals minute. 

 Wet places ; ascending to 3,300 ft. in the Highlands ; fl. May-July. Annual, 



3-18 in., erect or diffuse, variable in size, habit, and breadth of leaves, 

 1- or more-flowered, glabrous, or with a few hairs at the bases of the ka\ vs. 

 which are narrowed at both ends, and callous at the tip. Bracts scarious. 

 f'/o'i-ern | in. diam. Tube of calyx funnel-shaped. Capsule ovoid. Seed* 

 minute. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, Siberia, W. Asia to the 

 Himalaya, E. and W. N. America. 



8. ARENA RIA. SANDWORT. 



Annual or perennial herbs, often tufted. Leaves broad or narrow. 

 Flowers white, in dichotomous cymes. Sei)als 5. Petals 5, entire or 

 slightly notched, rarely 0. Stamens 10, rarely 5, inserted on the disk. 

 Disk annular, or rising into inter-staminal glands. Ovary 1 -celled ; styles 

 3-4 ; ovules many, rarely few. Capsule short, with as many entire or 

 2-fid valves as there are styles. Seeds compressed, smooth or tubereled ; 

 embryo annular. DISTRIB. all temp, and cold regions; species 130. 

 ETYM. Arena, from many growing in sand. 



SECTION 1, Alsi'ne, Wahl. (gen.). Flowers hermaphrodite. Disk annu- 

 lar. Capsule with 3-4 entire valves. Seeds many, funicle not swollen or 

 appendaged. (Leaves linear-setaceous in all the British species.) 



1. A. ver'na, L. ; densely tufted, leaves crowded subulate, flowering 

 branches slender few-flowered, oblong petals, and capsule longer than tlir 

 lanceolate sepals. 



Dry rocks, pastures and banks, local ; ascending to 2,500ft. in the Highlands ; 

 fl. May-July. Perennial, bright green, sparingly hairy and glandular. 

 Rootxtock woody ; branches 2-4 in., very many, matted, forming a green 

 cushion. Leaves |- in., 3-nerved. Bract* acute, margin scarious. Flower- 

 ing branches 1-4 in., strict. Flowers ^ in. diam., white ; pedicels slender, 

 glandular. Petals oblong, hardly longer than the sepals, white.- DiSTUiB. 

 Mid. and S. Europe, N. Africa, N. America. 



VAR. 1, ver'na, proper ; leaves apiculate, lower not appressed. VAU. '2, 

 Gerar'di, Willd. (sp.?); leaves not apiculate, lower appressed. 



2. A. rubella, Hook.; densely tufted, leaves crowded subulate obtuse, 



