Stellaria.] xvin. CARYOPHYLLE^E. (Edg-eworth & Hook, f.) 229 



11. STEX.XiA.RXA, Linn. 



Herts of various habit. Leaves various. Mowers in dichotomous cymes, 

 more rarely solitary and terminal, white. Petals 5, rarely 4, 2-fid or 2-par- 

 tite or 0. Stamens 10, rarely 8, hypogynous or perigynous. Disk annular 

 or divided into glands. Ovary 1- rarely 3-celled ; styles 3 or rarely 2-5 ; 

 ovules many, rarely few. Capsule short, splitting to below the middle or 

 to the base into as many entire or 2-fid valves as there are styles, Seeds 

 compressed, tubercled granulate or nearly smooth ; embryo annular. Dis- 

 TETB. Species about 70, natives of all cold and temperate regions. 



SECT. I. Schizostegium, Fend. Subscandent or decumbent herbs. 

 Ovary 3-celled. Capsule 1-2-seeded. 



1. S. crispata, Wall. Cat. 633 ; tall, glabrous, pubescent above, leaves 

 large sessile oblong or linear-oblong from a cordate base long-acuminate, 

 edges crisped, flowers small. S. monosperma, Don Prodr. 215. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA, alt. 6-10,000 ft., from Sikkim to Kashmir; KHASIA MTS., 

 alt. 5-6000 ft. 



Rooti of fleshy fusiform fibres. Stem 2-4 ft., 4 angled, shining with a line of fine 

 hairs, nudes often hairy. Leaves 2-9 in., often broadest beyond the middle, pale 

 beneath, rather coriaceous, nerves very faint, one intrarnarginal, tips very slender, 

 margin scarcely thickened, more or less crisped. Cymes much branched, pubescent, 

 peduncles and pedicels divaricate, very slender. Sepals % in., oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, margin narrowly scarious. Petals as long or twice as long as the sepals. Seeds 

 1 or 2, granulate. 



2. S. paniculata, Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 35 ; tall, glabrous or 

 ciliate, leaves petioled lanceolate or elliptic long-acuminate, flowers very 

 small pubescent. S. media, Wight Cat. 145, not of Linn. 



WESTERN TEMPERATE HIMALAYA, alt. 7-11,000 ft. ; Sikkim, J. D. H.; Knmaon to 

 Sirmur, Royle, Edgeworth, &c. KHASIA MTS., alt. 5000 ft., Griffith, &c. NILGHIRI 

 MTS., Wight, &c. 



Nearly glabrous or laxly pubescent throughout. Stem 2 ft. high and more, decum- 

 bent or suberect, weak, shining, with a line of hairs above. Leaves 14-5 in., very 

 vai'iable in shape, membranous, long or shortly acuminate, nerves spreading, one intra- 

 marginal; Cymes glandular pubescent, much branched; peduncles and pedicels very 

 slender, spreading. Sepals pubescent, oblong-lanceolate, acute, |- in. Petals notched, 

 shorter than the sepals. Capsule equalling the calyx. Seeds wrinkled. 



3. S. drymarioides, T/uvaites Enum. 24; procumbent, rooting, gla- 

 brous below, glandular-pubescent above, leaves petioled orbicular or broadly 

 elliptic acute or apiculate, flowers small densely pubescent. 



CEYLON; Harpootelle pass, alt. 4000 ft., Walker, Thwai'tes, 



Stems slender, flaccid, 4 angled ; branches erect. Leaves 4-1 i in. diam., with a few 

 scattered hairs ; petals tV~3 i n - '> nerves spreading. Cymes with long slender spreading 

 peduncles and pedicels, the latter often thickened upwards. Petals 2-fid, half as long 

 as the sepals. Disk 5-lobed. Capsule included, 1-seeded. Closely allied to S. 

 paniculata and probably a broad-leaved state of that plant, the foliage and habit closely 

 resemble Drymaria cordifolia, which may at once be distinguished by the nervation of 

 the leaf. 



SECT. II. IVIalachium, Fries. Sepals free to the base. Stamens hypo- 

 gynous. Styles usually 5. Ovary 1-celled. Capsule with 5 2-fid valves, 

 many-seeded. 



4. S. aquatic a, Scopoli ; slightly glandular above, stem diffuse decum- 

 bent angular, leaves ovate-cordate. Cerastium aquaticum, Linn. Mala- 

 bhium aquaticum, Fries; Boiss. Fl. Orient, i. 731. 



