Arcnaria.] xvm. CARYOPHYLLE^E. (Edg-eworth & Hook, f.) 237 



leaves densely crowded subulate pungent rigid recurved 1-nerved beneath 

 ciliolate, peduncles 1- or few-flowered glandular-pubescent, sepals lanceolate 

 or subulate-lanceolate straight or recurved 1-3-nerved, margins broadly 

 scarious shorter than the petals, capsule oblong 5-6-valved to the base 

 shorter than the sepals, seeds flat with a narrow fimbriate wing. 



WESTERN ALPINE HIMALAYA, from Kumaon to Kunawar; alt. 11-13,000 ft., fioyle, 

 Jacquemont, &c. WESTERN TIBET, Karnali river, alt. 15,500 ft., Stretch. & Wint. 



Very variable iu stature, 2-8 in. Leaves with axillary fascicles, -1^ in., shining, 

 rather concave above, usually recurved, pungent, margin cHiolate, nerve strong beneath. 

 Peduncle 1-6 in., erect or curved, leafy, 1. rarely 2-5-flowered, always very glandular ; 

 bracts ovate-subulate, with broadly scariotts margins ; pedicels shorter or longer than 

 the sepals. Calyx scarcely thickened at the base ; sepals 5 to nearly ^ in., from ovate- 

 lanceolate to subulate lanceolate, sometimes falcate, long acuminate, pungent, margin 

 broadly scarious, back green with 3 approximate nerves, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. 

 Petals" sometimes twice as long as the sepals, obovate, variable in length and breadth. 

 Capsule coriaceous, rarely equalling the sepals. /Seeds very flat, pale. 



VAR. imbricata; smaller, stems very short densely tufted, leaves | in., peduncles 

 very short. ? A. imbricata, M, Bieb. Pi. Taur. Cauc. i. 344, which differs only in the 

 capsule exceeding the sepals. Ledebour and Boissier (Fl. Orient, i. 673), both refer 

 A. imbricata to Alsine, but the capsule in original specimens is distinctly 6-valved. 



6. A. Griffith!!, Bviss. Fl Orient, i. 697 ; suffmticose, tufted, glabrous 

 or glandular, leaves densely crowded short subulate pungent rigid straight 

 or recurved 1-nerved beneath ciliolate, peduncle several-flowered, sepals 

 ovate acute concave obscurely nerved shorter than the petals, capsule glo- 

 bose 6-valved shorter than the sepals. 



WESTERN TIBET ; Dras valley, alt. 8-10,000 ft., T. Thomson. DISTRIB. Affghanistan. 



A more robust species than A. festucoides, with usually shorter though quite as rigid 

 leaves, short concave ovate-subulate bracts, more numerous and smaller flowers, calvx 

 rounded and much thickened at the base, broader sepals, and a globose or very broadly 

 ovoid coriaceous capsule. 



** Flowers always solitary, sessile or very shortly pedicelled. 



7. A. musciformis, Wall. Cat. 6401 ; glabrous, most densely tufted, 

 root long woody, stem very short densely leafy, J eaves subulate spreading 

 and recurved rigid minutely ciliate, flowers sessile solitary, sepals oblong- 

 lanceolate acute 3-nerved rather shorter and narrower than the linear 

 obovate petals. 



ALPINE EASTERN and WESTERN TIBET, alt. 16-18,000 ft., Webb, Jacquemont; 

 Balch pass, Stracli. & Winterb. ; Karakoram and Parang passes, &c., T. Thomson ; 

 Tibetan Sikkim, alt. 15-16,000 ft., /. D.H. 



Forming matted hard tufts ; roots very long, strong, woody. Leaves subsquarrose 

 when dry pale green, -^ in., with broad sheathing scarious bases, 1-nerved below. 

 Flowers sessile, solitary, ^ in. diam. Calyx narrow subtruncate and hardened at the 

 base ; sepals green with broad scarious margins, outer 3-, inner 1-nerved. Petals per- 

 sistent, tip rounded. Filaments long, slender. Styles 3, slender. Capsule apparently 

 never fertilized in the specimens collected, small, globose, 5-6-valved to the base. The 

 leaves of the Sikkim specimen are in., which is longer than those of the Western 

 Himalaya. 



8. A. polytrichoides, Edgew. ; most densely tufted, branches together 

 with the most densely imbricating leaves cyliridric, leaves short spreading 

 and recurved subulate from a broad scarious sheathing base rigid pungent, 

 channelled in front convex on the back, margins thickened obscurely ciliate 

 towards the base, flowers minute subsessile, sepals broadly elliptic obtuse, 

 petals larger broadly obovate, capsule broad equalling the sepals. 



