CARYOPHYLLE^. XXVIII. SPERGULARIA. 



425 



to the calyx. () H. Native of Brazil near the town called 

 Rio Grande de St. Pedro do Sul. Like Spergula saginoides. 



Trailing Spurry. Fl. Sept. PL trailing. 



Cult. None of the species of Spergula are worth cultivating, 

 except in botanical gardens. They will grow without care in 

 any moist situation. 



XXVIII. SPERGULA'RIA (altered from Spergula, which 

 see). Cambess. in St. Hil. fl.bras. 2. p. 171. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Tri-Pentagynia. Calyx of 5 sepals 

 with membranous edges. Petals 5, entire. Stamens 10, seldom 

 5. Styles 3-5. Capsule 1-celled, 3-5-valved, many-seeded ; 

 seeds compressed, marginate. This genus has been divided 

 from Spergula and Arenaria, by Cambessedes. We shall there- 

 fore retain the authorities for the species under these genera. 

 The genus is remarkable in being furnished with stipulas, in 

 the seeds being bordered with a wing, and in the petals and 

 stamens usually adhering to the base of the calyx. 



SECT. I. SPE'RGULA (in allusion to the genus being separated 

 from Spergula). Styles 5. Stamens 1.0. Capsule 5-valved. 

 Flowers white. Leaves linear, in whorls. Stipulas in pairs 

 under each whorl, membranous, very short. Flowers cymose. 



1 S. AKVE'NSIS (Lin. spec. 630.) leaves in whorls ; flowers 

 decandrous ; seeds spherical, rather hispid, black, with a narrow 

 border. O- H. Native throughout Europe in gardens and 

 cultivated fields. North America on the banks of the Columbia 

 and about Quebec ; plentiful in Britain. Smith, engl. bot. t. 

 1535. Curt. lond. fasc. 5. t. 31. Fl. dan. 1033. Lam. ill. t. 

 393. f. 1. Flowers white. 



Var. ft, geniculata (Poir. 7. p. 303.) stem beyond a foot, 

 jointed at the knots, as if it were viviparous. S. geniculata, 

 Pers. ench. 1. p. 522. no. 3. Petals white. 



In the Netherlands and in Germany the seed of this plant is sown 

 on corn stubbles, to supply a bite for sheep during winter. It may 

 be sown and reaped in eight weeks, either in autumn or spring. 

 It is said to enrich the milk of cows, so as to make it afford excellent 

 butter, and the mutton fed on it is said to be preferable to that fed 

 on turnips. Hens eat spurry greedily, and it is supposed to make 

 them lay a great number of eggs, whether in hay, or cut green, 

 or in pasture. Von Thaer observes, it is the most nourishing in 

 proportion to its bulk, of all forage, and gives the best flavoured 

 milk and butter. It has been recommended to be cultivated in 

 England, but it is not likely that such a plant can ever pay the 

 expence of seed and labour in this country, even on the poorest 

 soil ; or at all events, as Professor Martyn observes, we have 

 many better plants for such soils. & pentdndra has the same 

 properties, and is, as well as S. arvensis, called yarr in Scotland 

 and pick-purse in Norfolk. 



Corn Spurry or Yarr. Fl. June, July. Brit. PL -J- to 1 ft. 



2 S. PENTA NDRA (Lin. spec. 630.) leaves in whorls ; flowers 

 generally pentandrous ; seeds lenticular, with dotted winged 

 margins. Q. H. Native of Europe in woods in many parts. 

 In Ireland on sandy ground. Lam. illus. t. 392. f. 2. Moris, 

 hist. 2. p. 551. sect. .5. t. 23. figure last but one marked 2. 

 Petals white. 



Var. ft, Spergula pentdndra (Engl. bot. 1536.) seeds com- 

 pressed, with a narrow, whitish membranous border. O- H. 

 Native about the Botanic Garden at Liverpool. Petals white. 



Pentandrous Spurry. Fl. Ju. Jul. England. PL 1 to 1^ ft. 



3 S. VILLO'SA (Pers. ench. 1. p. 522.) plant pubescent ; leaves 

 in whorls ; cymes branched, many-flowered ; petals shorter than 

 the sepals. 2/ . S. Native of Monte Video. Poir. diet. 7. p. 

 304. Sepals oblong, acutish. Petals white. 



Villous Spurry. Fl. July. PL -J foot. 



4 S. VISCO'SA (Lag. in varied, de cienc. 1805. p. 213. gen. et 

 spec. 15.) leaves in whorls, villous, clammy ; flowers decandrous ; 



VOL. i. PART v. 



petals longer than the calyx. 1 . H. Native of Spain near the 

 snow on the summit of the mountain commonly called de Los- 

 pozos near Arvas. Petals white. 



Clammy Spurry. FL June, July. PL -| foot. 



5 S. PA'LLIDA (Salisb. prodr. 298.) stem clammy, pubescent ; 

 stipulas large ; leaves half terete, mucronulate ; petals oval, 

 entire, obtuse; stamens 10. If.. G. Native of the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Seeds imbricated, a little reniform, with scarious 

 margins. Petals pale red. 



Pafe-red-petalled Spurry. Fl. June, Jul. Clt. 1810. PL 1 ft. 



SECT. II. ARENA' RIA (in allusion to the plants being separated 

 from Arenaria). Stipularia, Haw. Lepigonum, Wahlenb. fl.goth. 

 ex Spreng. neue. entd. 3. p. 231. Stamens 10. Styles 3. Cap- 

 sules 3-valved. Leaves linear, opposite, with bundles of smaller 

 ones in the axillae. Stipulas scarious, situated at the base of the 

 leaves. Flowers usually cymose, but sometimes solitary, 1- 

 flowered. 



6 S. SEGETA'LIS (Lam. fl. fr. 3. p. 43.) plant glabrous; stem 

 erect ; leaves awl-shaped, leaning rather to one side ; sepals 

 scarious, marked with a longitudinal green line in the centre ; 

 petals shorter than the calyx ; peduncles after flowering de- 

 flexed ; seeds rather pear-shaped, rough. O- H. Native 

 among corn in France and Spain. Alsine segetalis, Lin. spec. 

 390. Vaill. bot. par. t. 3. f. 3. Capsules 3-valved ; valves 

 broad, obtuse. Petals white. 



Corn-field Sand-spurry. Fl. Jul. Sept. Clt 1 805. PI. i to 1 ft. 



7 S. LEPTOPHY'LLA ; like Arenaria tenuifblia, Lin. but differs 

 in the leaves being stipulate; stipulas setaceous, scariose, and 

 white ; flowers lateral, and nearly sessile ; bracteas all scariose 

 and white. It differs from Spergularia segetalis in the different 

 figure of the stipulas. I/ . F. Native of Mexico. Arenaria 

 leptophylla, Schlecht. et Cham, in Linnaea 5. p. 233. 



Slender-leaved Sand-spurry. PL i foot. 



8 S. MOLLUOI'NEA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 1. p. 400.) plant 

 very smooth ; leaves linear, thick, glaucous, rather callose at 

 the apex ; stem spreading, forked ; flowers axillary ; peduncles 

 after flowering deflexed ; sepals ovate, obtuse, with membrana- 

 ceous margins ; capsules roundish, 3-valved ; valves very blunt, 

 equalling the calyx in length ; seeds reniform. 0.H. Native 

 of New Spain. Alsine mollugmea, Lag. gen. et spec. 1815. 

 p. 13. Petals white. Perhaps a different genus from the pre- 

 ceding. 



Mollugo-like Sand-spurry. Fl. June, July. PL J foot. 



9 S. PROSTRA'TA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 1. p. 400.) stems 

 forked, prostrate, glabrous ; leaves linear, disposed in whorls ; 

 extreme branches filiform ; peduncles axillary, I or 4-flowered ; 

 sepals lanceolate, unequal, equal in length with the corolla ; style 

 one ; stigmas 3 ; capsules ovate-roundish, 3-valved ; valves 

 ovate, bluntish. I/? H. Native of Egypt. Alsine prostrata, 

 Forsk. descr. p. 201. Delile, fl. segypt. p. 68. t. 24. f. 4. Flowers 

 rose-coloured. 



Prostrate Sand-spurry. PL prostrate. 



10 S. SUCCULE'NTA (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 1. p. 400.) 

 stems trailing, small, glabrous ; branches forked ; leaves spatu- 

 late ; flowers terminal, somewhat panicled ; sepals oblong, ob- 

 tuse, with membranaceous margins, length of corolla ; style 1 ; 

 stigmas 3 ; capsules rather spherical, 3-valved ; valves lan- 

 ceolate, with the margins involute after opening. O- H. Na- 

 tive of Egypt. Alsine succulenta, Delil. fl. segypt. p. 68. t. 24. 

 f. 3. Flowers white. 



Succulent Sand-spurry, PL trailing. 



11 S. PURPU'REA (Pers. ench. 1. p. 50. but not of Schlecht.) 

 plant hispid ; stem erect ; branches divaricating ; leaves seta- 

 ceous, almost one-half shorter than the spaces of the stem 

 between the leaves ; sepals lanceolate, bluntish, with scariose 



31 



