654 CERASTIUM. [ClASS X. ORDER IV. 



nearly smooth, or most frequently clothed with soft spreading silky 

 hairs. Leaves in pairs, sessile, ovate, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 

 having a raid-rib, and clothed more or less thickly with soft woolliness, 

 crowded in the lower part of the stems, distant above, and crowning 

 the barren stems in a rosaceous manner. Bracteas ovate, herbaceous, 

 with a narrow membranous margin. Pedicles twice as long as the 

 calyx, or longer. Calyx of five elliptic-lanceolate segments, with a 

 somewhat obtuse point, the margins with a thin membranous border, 

 more or less thickly clothed with woolliness. Petals as long again as 

 the calyx, white, cleft in a heart-shaped manner. Stamens with awl- 

 shaped filaments, about as long as the calyx. Anthers ovate, yellow. 

 Styles slender, with downy stigmas. Capsule broadly oblong, smooth, 

 shining, about twice as long as the calyx, reflexed with the pedicle. 



Habitat. Frequent on the Highland Mountains of Scotland ; very 

 rare in Wales. 



Perennial ; flowering from July to August. 



This is an extremely variable plant in the shape and size of the 

 leaves, and the woolliness, which is of soft slender silky jointed hairs, 

 mostly simple ; but some of those upon the peduncles are frequently 

 terminated with a small gland, which secretes a glutinous fluid, and 

 sometimes the stems are clothed with the same., and at other times the 

 whole plant is nearly smooth, but these are only varieties seeming to 

 depend upon the variety of situation or soil in which they chance to 

 have grown. 



6. C. latifo'lium, Linn. (Fig. 744.) Broad-leaved Alpine Chickweed. 

 Stem cespitose, procumbent; the sterile branches densely cespilose; 

 flowering stems erect, one to three flowered ; leaves elliptic or lanceo- 

 late ; bracteas herbaceous; pedicles after flowering reflexed; petals 

 twice as long as the calyx. Koch. 



English Botany, t. 473. English Flora, vol. ii. p. 334. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 217. -C. alpinum. /5. piloso-pubescens 

 Bentham. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 51. 



This we are much disposed to think has not any specific character, 

 by which it can be distinguished from C. alpinum, and its varieties. 

 The leaves vary both in si/e and shape, and the hairiness is not to be 

 depended upon as a specific character, as we have observed the leaves 

 nearly smooth, as well as densely clothed with woolly pubescence. 

 The stem is slender, and bears fewer flowers than is common with 

 C. alpinum ; the pedicles are also longer, and often without bractea : 

 the flowers and fruit are similar. 



Habitat. Mountains of Wales and Scotland ; very rare. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



