420 



CARYOPHYLLE^E. XVIII. MOZNCHIA. XIX. HYMENELLA. XX. MOEHRINGIA. XXI. ELATING. 



7 S. QUITE'NSIS (H. B. et Kunth, gen. et spec. amer. 6. p. 19.) 

 stems filiform, procumbent ? leaves rather falcate ; peduncles 

 axillary, 1 -flowered, bearing 4 bracteas above the middle ; fruit- 

 bearing peduncles straight, elongated ; flowers apetalous, some- 

 what drooping. . H. Native of South America on the sandy 

 banks of Rio Blanco at the height of 4800 feet. Valves of cap- 

 sule revolute. 



Quito Pearlwort. Fl. May, Aug. PI. trailing. 



8 S. FASCICULA'TA (Poir. diet. 6. p. 390.) stems creeping, 

 rooting, jointed ; branches somewhat erect ; leaves secund in 

 bundles; peduncles axillary, 1 -flowered. ^.H. Native about 

 Algiers. Very like S. procumbens. Calyx glabrous, with short 

 oval, obtuse, spreading lobes, which are reflexed after flowering. 

 Petals white. 



Bundle-leaved Pearlwort. Fl. May, Aug. PI. 1 to 3 inches. 



Cult. None of the species of this genus are worth cultivating 

 except the double-flowering variety of S. procumbens and S. 

 fasciculata : both should be kept in small pots well drained with 

 potsherds, in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand ; and the best 

 way of increasing them is by dividing the plants at the roots. 

 The rest of the species are only worth preserving in Botanical 

 gardens ; they require no care, but if once introduced to the 

 garden, it will be hereafter quite impossible to extirpate them. 



XVIII. M(E'NCHIA (in honour of Conrad Moench, a profes- 

 sor of botany at Marburgh, who wrote several botanical works 

 between the years 1777 and 1802.) Ehrh. beitr. fasc. 2. 177. 

 Pers. ench. 1. p. 153. 



LIN. sysT. Tet tindria, Digynia. Calyx of 4 sepals. Petals 

 4. Stamens 4. Capsules membranous, 1-valved, 1 -celled, 

 opening at the summit with 8, occasionally, 10 teeth, many- 

 seeded. Seed kidney-shaped. Small plants, with the habit 

 of S. Cerdstium. 



1 M. ERE'CTA (Smith, engl. fl. 1. p. 241.) glaucous; stems 

 erect, 1 -flowered, glabrous; leaves linear, acute; peduncles 

 straight ; petals short ; sepals lanceolate, concave, acute, with 

 membranous edges. Q. H. Native in pastures and heathy 

 ground on a gravelly soil, in most parts of Europe ; also in Bri- 

 tain. M. glauca, Pers. ench. 1. p. 153. M. quaternella, Ehrh. 

 phyt. 82. Sagina erecta, Lin. spec. 185. Smith, engl. bot. t. 

 609. Curt. lend. fasc. 2. t. 12. Vaill. par. t. 3. f. 2. Petals 

 white. 



Upright Moenchia, Fl. May. Britain. PI. -| to i foot. 



2 M. CERASTOIDES (Spreng. syst. 1. p. 497.) green and pilose ; 

 stem diffuse, dichotomous, branched ; leaves spatulate or ob- 

 ovate, recurved ; peduncles axillary, 1 -flowered, reflexed after 

 flowering ; petals emarginate ; sepals lanceolate, acute, with mem- 

 branous margins. I/ . H. Native of Scotland on rocks about 

 the Firth of Forth, and in many places about Edinburgh. Flowers 

 small, white. Sagina cerastoides, Smith in Lin. trans, vol. 2. p. 

 343. Cerastium tetrandrum, Curt. lond. fasc. 1. t. 31. 



Chickneed-like Mccnchia. Fl. Ju. July. Britain. PI. trailing. 



Cult. Chickweed-looking plants, which may be sown on 



rock-work, and may be afterwards allowed to scatter their seeds. 



XIX. HYMENE'LLA (a diminutive of v//i/c, hymen, a 

 membrane, on account of the thin little petaloid crown at the 

 base of the petals.) Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon. ined. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 389. 



Lm. SYST. Tetrdndria, Trigynia. Calyx 4-parted, spreading, 

 Petals 4, oblong, entire, length of the calyx. Stamens 4, alter- 

 nating with the petals, connected at the base by an 8-toothed 

 petaloid little crown. Ovary ovate. Styles 3. Capsules 3- 

 celled. An insignificant looking plant, like Moehringia. 



1 H. MOEHRINGIOI'DES (Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. ined. 

 icon, in D. C, prod. 1. p. 390.) I/. F. Native of Mexico in 



gardens. P. Carmelitarum, Sancti Angeli, BufFonia tenuifolia, 

 Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. ined. icon. Stems weak ; leaves linear, 

 acute, glabrous; pedicels solitary, 1 -flowered, axillary; flowers 

 small, white. 



Moehringia-like Hymenella. PI. \ foot. 



Cult. This plant should be kept in pots in a mixture of sand, 

 loam, and peat, and placed in a green-house or frame during 

 winter. It may be either increased by seeds or by dividing the 

 plants at the root, but it is not worth cultivating except in bo- 

 tanical gardens. 



XX. MOEHRI'NGIA (in honour of Paul Henry Gerard 



Moehring, a German physician, author of Hortus Proprius, 

 1736.) Lin. gen. 264. Gsert.fruct. 226. 1. 129. f. 11. D. C. prod. 

 1. p. 390. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Digynia. Calyx 4-parted. Petals 4. 

 Stamens 8. Styles 2. Capsules 4-valyed, 1 -celled, many- 

 seeded. Pretty alpine plants, with the habit of Arenaria. 



1 M. MUSCOSA (Lin. spec. p. 515.) leaves linear, connate; 

 segments of calyx flat, lanceolate, acute ; flowers axillary, soli- 

 tary. I/ . H. Native of Europe in humid parts of moun- 

 tains at the margins of woods. Lam. ill. t. 314. Schkuhr. handb. 



1. t. 108. Flowers small, white. 



Mossy Moehringia. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1775. PI. \ foot. 



2 M. SEDIFOLIA (Willd. berl. mag. 1818. p. 101. t. 3. f. 23.) 

 leaves oblong, obtuse, convex on both surfaces, fleshy, somewhat 

 imbricated ; flowers terminal, solitary. I/ . H. Native of the 

 Alps of Tenda. M. muscosa, var. Balb. misc. bot. 20. t. 5. f. 



2. M. musc6sa sedoides, Pers. ench. 1. p. 438. Flowers like 

 those of M. muscosa, but a little smaller. 



Sedum-leated Moehringia. Fl. Ju. July. Clt. 1823, PI. ^ ft. 



3 S. STRI'CTA (Sibth. and Smith, fl. graec. t. 362.) leaves 

 strict, scariose, and ciliated at the base, shorter than the joints of 

 the stem. I/ . H. Native of Candia. Flowers small, white. 



Strict-leaved Moehringia. Fl. June, July. PI. -J. foot. 



Cult. These pretty little alpine plants are well adapted for 

 rock-work or to be grown in small pots. A mixture of sand, 

 loam, and peat suits those grown in the latter way ; and the best 

 method of increasing them is by dividing the plants at the root. 



XXI. ELA'TINE (from tXart), elate, a fir in Greek. Its fine 

 leaves have been compared to those of a fir-tree.) Lin. gen. no. 

 685. Gsert. fruct. 2. p. 142. t. 102. f. 2. D. C. prod. 1. p. 390. 



LIN. SYST. Tri-Octdndria, Tetragynia. Calyx 3-5-parted. 

 Petals 3-4, not unguiculate. Stamens equal in number with the 

 petals, and double that number, therefore either 3-4 or 6-8. 

 Styles 4, capitate at the top. Capsules 4-valved, 4-celled, 

 many-seeded. Seeds cylindrical. Small creeping plants, with 

 insignificant flesh-coloured flowers. 



1 E. HYDRO'PIPER (Lin. spec. 572.) leaves opposite ; flowers 

 alternate, stalked, octandrous, 4-petalled. T. H. Native in 

 inundated places almost throughout the whole of France. E. 

 hydropiper var. a, Lin. spec. p. 527. D. C. icon. pi. rar. 1. p. 13. 

 t. 43. f. 2. Vaill. bot. paris, t. 2. f. 2. Flowers rose-coloured. 



Water-pepper Waterwort. Fl. July, Aug. PI. 2 to 3 inches. 



2 E. HEXA'NDRA (B.C. icon. pi. rar. 1. p. 14. t. 43. f. 1.) 

 leaves opposite ; flowers alternate, stalked, hexandrous, 3-petal- 

 led. T/. H. Native of inundated places about Paris. E. 

 hydropiper var. /3, Lin. spec. 527. Vaill. Paris, bot. t. 2. f. 1. 

 Tillaeahexandra, Lapierre, journ. phys. fl. an. xi. Birolia palu- 

 dosa, Bell. mem. acad. tur. 1808. icone. Flowers rose-coloured. 



Hexandrous Waterwort. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. ? PI. 2 inches. 



3 E. TRIPE'TALA (Smith, engl. fl. 2. p. 243.) leaves opposite, 

 rough, with minute points ; flowers alternate, stalked, octan- 

 drous, 3-petalled. 1. H. Native on the margins of ponds 

 and ditches, in a sandy soil, about the eastern shore of Bomere 

 pool, near Candover, Shropshire, and near Bingfield, Berks. E. 



