48 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



10. CERASTIUM, L. 



Flowers white, usually small ; petals notched or bifid ; 

 styles 3 or 5 ; capsule cylindrical, curved, 6- or 10- 

 toothed, when ripe usually greatly exceeding the calyx. 

 Herbs with pubescent stem and leaves, mostly prostrate. 



The following English lowland species of Mouse-ear 

 Chick weed are found also in Switzerland : C. glomera- 

 tum, Fr. ; semidecandrum, L. ; triviale, Lk. ; aruense, L. ; 

 vulgatum, L. ; viscosum^ L. C. brachycarpum, Schm. 

 and suffruticosuin, L., are probably mountain forms of 

 aruense; and C. macro carpum, Schm., of vulgatum. C. 

 brackypetalum, Pers., is very nearly allied to glomera- 

 tum. C. glutinosum, L., covered with a glutinous down, 

 is a Southern lowland species. 



The following are more or less alpine, but the specific 

 characters are often very difficult to determine : C. 

 grandiflorum, W. and K. ; plant covered with a thick 

 grey tomentum, leaves linear, fleshy, teeth of capsule 

 revolute ; very rare ; Upper Styria. C. lanatum, Koch ; 

 resembling the last, but with broader leaves, teeth of 

 capsule straight ; very high ; Southern Switzerland, rare. 

 C. alpinum, L. ; usually more or less glandular-hairy, 

 stem I 5 -flowered, with rosettes of leaves, flower-stalk 

 oblique after flowering, sepals obtuse, with a membranous 

 margin ; high altitudes ; frequent. C. latifolium, L. ; 

 leaves ovate-elliptical, stiff, brittle, flowers large, few, 

 petals more than twice as long as sepals, deeply bifid, 

 capsule nearly globose ; high ; Switzerland, Dauphiny. 

 C. uniflorum, Mur. ; resembling the last, but leaves soft, 

 very hairy, capsule narrower; Switzerland. C. pyre- 

 naicum, Gay; similar, but petals and stamens ciliate, 



