SAND SPURREY 145 



lations of sand or gravel. Thus it will grow in the Midlands on 

 the Pennines, where igneous and volcanic rocks have by disintegra- 

 tion produced an arenaceous subsoil, or on rocks and walls. Along 

 the maritime tracts of the coast counties it will be found where there 

 are wide stretches of sandy heath. 



No plant could be more prostrate in habit than this humble species, 

 which spreads its flexible stems over the surface in the manner of a 

 club moss on land or some stalkless seaweeds in the water. The stems 

 are hairy and numerous, nearly round, with linear, flat, or thread-like 



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Photo. A. R. Horwood 



SAND SPURREY (Spergularia rubra, Pers.) 



leaves, shorter than the joints of the stem ; and the stipules are large, 

 united at the base, silvery and torn, membranous at the margin, not 

 falling, inserted just below the leaves, enclosing them entirely in bud, 

 covering the base when fully developed. 



The flowers are like those of Common Spurrey, but pink or purple, 

 the petals equalling the calyx, and the capsule is the same length, 

 shorter than the fruit-stalk, the seeds egg-shaped, wedge-shaped, and 

 bordered. 



The plant never rises to a height of more than 2 in. It can be 

 seen in flower from June to September. It is annual or biennial. 



The flowers are like those of Spergula, but are more conspicuous, 

 and the plant is not hidden away amongst corn, but is prostrate on 

 rocky soils. It is in this way less driven to self-pollination than 

 Spurrey. 



VOL. V. 72 



