62 CARYOPHYLLEM. [SAGINA. 



appressed sepals. DISTRIB. Arctic and Alpine Europe, Siberia, N. 

 America. 



4. S. nivalis, Fries; densely tufted, glabrous, leaves acuminate, 

 petals rather longer than the broad glabrous obtuse sepals, pedicel always 

 erect, capsule much longer than the appressed sepals. 



Ben Lawers, Skye, and Clova Mts. ; fl. June-Aug. Very much more densely 

 tufted than S. soxotllis, of which it may be a subspecies with shorter petals, 

 and shorter always erect pedicels. DISTRIB. Norway, Spitzbergen, Green- 

 land. 



5. S. subulata, Wimmer ; tufted, more or less glandular and hairy, 

 leaves narrowed to the aristate tip, petals as long as the lanceolate 

 obtuse subglandular sepals, pedicels long slender curved after flowering 

 then erect, capsule ratner longer than the appressed sepals. Spcrgula, 

 Swartz. 



Heaths, dry pastures, &c. ; ascending to 2,700 ft. in the Highlands ; N. and 

 W. of Ireland ; fl. June-Aug. This again might be combined with the 

 two preceding. DISTRIB. Mid. and W. Europe, N. America (doubtfully 

 indigenous, Gray). 



6. S. nodo'sa, L. ; glabrous or glandular, stems with many leaf-buds 

 in the axils of the rather remote pairs of subulate acute leaves, peduncles 

 short always erect 1-2-flowered, petals and capsules much longer than 

 the oblong obtuse sepals. Spergula, L. Knotted Spurrey. 



Moist heaths, and sandy places ; ascending to 1,800 ft. in Yorkshire ; fl. July- 

 Aug. Much the largest and largest - flowered species of the genus. 

 Branches 4 10 in., decumbent, curved, wiry. Radical leaves A in., cauline 

 usually i-i in. Flowers | in. diam. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, 

 Siberia, W. Asia to the Himalaya, N. America. 



1O. SPER GULA, L. SrURUEY. 



Annual herbs, with forked or fascicled branches. Leaves opposite, with 

 abbreviated leaf-buds in their axils, whence the foliage appears whorled ; 

 stipules small, scarious. Flowers white, in stalked panicled cymes. Se- 

 pals 5. Petals 5, entire. Stamens 5 or 10. Ovary 1 -celled ; styles 5 ; ovules 

 many. Capsule with 5 entire valves. Seeds compressed, margined or 

 winged ; embryo annular. DISTRIB. Weeds of cultivation in temp, re- 

 gions ; species 2-3. ETYM. spar go, from scattering its seeds. 



1. 8. arven sis, L. ; leaves linear-subulate ^-terete rather fleshy. 

 Cornfields, &c. ; ascending to 1,000 ft. ; fl. June-Aug. More or less pubescent 

 and glandular. Stems 5-18 in., branched from the root, geniculate. Leaves 

 -1^ in., in distant pairs, grooved beneath. Flowers -1 in. diam., sub- 

 umbellate in racemose terminal cymes ; peduncles slender, spreading or 

 retiexed. Sepals ovate, obtuse, rather shorter than the white petals. 

 Capsule subglobose. Seeds lenticular, tubercled, keeled, naked or papillose. 

 DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, W. Asia to N.W. India ; introd. in 

 N. America. 



11. SPERGULARIA, Persoon. SANDWORT-SPCRREY. 

 Diffuse herbs, with the foliage, inflorescence, and stipules of Spergula. 

 Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire, rarely 0, white or red. Stamens 10 or fewer. 



