234 xvin. CARYOPHYLLEJE. (Edgeworth & Hook, f.) [Stcllaria. 



flowers solitary, pedicels capillary deflexed in fruit, flowers very small, sepals 

 ovate-lanceolate acute, petals 0, stamens 5, styles 3, capsule cylindric twice 

 as long as the sepals. 



Interior of the SIKKIM HIMALAYA, alt. 12-16,000 ft., J.D.H. WESTERN TIBET; 

 Nubra, alt. 11-15,000 ft., T. Thomson. 



Stems 6 in. high in Nubra specimens very slender simple, stouter shorter and more 

 tufted in the Sikkim ones. Leaves - in., with thickened margin and tip, not mucro- 

 nate. Flowers fa in. diam.. ; pedicels ^-l in.; bracts scarious. C"ln.r ' 

 sepals green, strongly 3-nerved, with broad scarious margins. Filtments slender. 

 Styles short. Capsule % in. l<mg, straight, 5-valved. -sWv/.s- pale In-own, distinctly 

 granulate. Very near the Baikal <S. umbellat t, Tun-x. (Led. Kl..r. Ross, i M4X but 

 the bracts are not numerous and crowded, and the seeds are not perfectly smooth, but 

 strongly granulate. 



19. S. depauperata, Edgew. ; quite glabrous, stems slender flexuous 

 red-brown, leaves spreading and recurved sessile oblong-lanceolate acute, 

 pedicels few axillary and terminal elongate curved wiry, (lowers small, 

 calyx with a broad turl.inate base, sepals lanceolate acute petals o, styles 3 

 very short, capsule 6-valved, seeds few. 



ALPINE SIKKIM HIMALAYA ; Yemntong in gravelly plaers, alt. lf>.ooO ft., J. />. H. 



A very singular little species, of \vliidi there are but lew specimens, all gathered in 

 one spot. Stems 3-4 in., wiry, ilexuous, 4-an-led, dark red l>n.\vn. LKU'C* few, \ in., 

 in distant pairs. /' ///Vv/x J 1 in. long. wiry, fli-ximus. ('n!;/.r base large and bread; 

 sepals in., dark green with broad scarious edges. FiLtnirnt* linear. Ortiri/ short, 

 ovoid; styles 3, very short. Capsule ^horter than the sepals. -The structure of the 

 flower approaches that of Sect. Adenonema. 



SECT. V. Adenonema, Bnnye. Se]il* connate at the broad base. 

 7V/W.V minute or 0, rarely equalling the si-pals. Sinineii* S |o, perigynons ; 

 filaments dilated at the base, />/>/ glandular. O/v//-// 1-celled ; styles 3. 

 Capsule 3-5-valved. X</s 1 or 1V\\ or many. Densely tufted Alpine 

 herbs. 



20. S. decumbens, A'. /./.-//. /// Trua*. Linn. Soc, xx. 35; laxly or 

 densely tufted, usually very shining, steins stout or slender and pedicels 

 densely pubescent or villous, branches sparse or closely imbrieato often 

 fascicled in axillary globose tufts, ovate or oblong or lanceolate-subulate 

 acicular-pointed (rarely acute or obtuse) 1-nerved, margins thickened gla- 

 brous or ci Hate, flowers solitary or cymose, sepals 4-5 oblong-lnoeolate, 

 petals usually very short 2-partitc narrow, capsule shorter than the sepals, 

 seeds 2-8 opaque nearly smooth suborbicular. 



AUMNK AND SritAUMXK HIMALAYA, in rockv and gravelly places, alt. 11-15,000 ft. 

 (18,000ft. in Sikkim). 



A very common and variable Alpine Himalayan plant, allied to S. pctrcen, Bunge, 

 but at once distinguished by its shorter shiuiiiu' le<s rigid leaves, and denser pubes- 

 cence. We are quite unable to distinguish the following varieties specifically, though 

 var. 4 is less connected by intermediates than the others, and may be different. 

 a. Flowers solitary. 



VAR. 1 ; tufts large lax shining 6-18 in. broad, leaves | in. usually imbricate 

 often in axillary tufts usually ovate-subulate, sepals 5, petals minute. S. petrsea, 

 Herb. Ind. Or. H. f. & T. (not of Bunge}. Sikkim and Knnawar. 



VAR. 2. Edgeworthii; tufts lax shining, stems slender, leaves sparse slender spread- 

 ing | in. subulate-lanceolate, petals minute. S. decumbens, Edgew. I.e. Kumaon. 



YAK. 3. minor ; stems slender 2-4 in., leaves shining or not in. ovate- or lanceolate- 

 subulate often in axillary fascicles, sepals 4, petals minute. Sikkim. 



VAR. 4. Stracheyi; stems slender 2-4 in., leaves fa i Q - n t shining ovate-subulate, 



