SCLERANTHE^E. I. MNIARUM. II. SCI.ERANTHUS. 



95 



inserted in the bottom of the calyx. Capsule 3-valved. Seed 

 hanging from, a long funicle, which arises from the centre of the 

 cell. 



4 QUE'RIA. The character is the same as that of the tribe. 



TKIBE III. 



MINUARTIE'JE. Calyx 5-parted. Petals wanting or very 

 minute. Stamens 3-10, inserted in the bottom of the calyx. Styles 

 3. Capsule \-celled, 3-valved, Seeds numerous, fixed to the 

 central placenta. 



5 MINUA'RTIA. Lobes of calyx quite entire. Styles 3. 



6 LCEFLI'NGIA. The 3 outer lobes of calyx bisetose at the 

 base. Style 1, trifid at the apex. 



Tribe I. 



SCLERA'NTHE$) (plants agreeing with Scleranthus in im- 

 portant characters). Paronychiese, Tribe V. Sclerantheae, D. C. 

 prod. 3. p. 377. Calyx 4-5-cleft, with an urceolate tube. Petals 

 wanting. Stamens 1-10, inserted in the throat of the calyx. 

 Styles 2 or 1 , emarginate at the apex. Fruit a 1-seeded mem- 

 branous utricle, covered by the indurated tube of the calyx. 

 Seed hanging from a long funicle, which arises from the bottom 

 of the cell, and which is recurved at the apex. Herbs, with op- 

 posite exstipulate leaves. 



I. MNIA'RUM (from fiviapoe, mniaros, mossy ; in reference 

 to the moss-like habit of the plants). Forst. gen. 1. t. 1. Lin. 

 fil. suppl. 18. R. Br. prod. p. 412. St. Hil. plac. lib. p. 58. 

 Juss. mem. mus. 2. p. 387. D. C. prod. 3. p. 378. Ditoca, 

 Banks ex Gaertn. fr. 2. p. 196. t. 126. 



LIN. SYST. Mondndria, Digynia. Calyx 4-cleft, permanent, 

 with an urceolate tube. Petals wanting. Stamen one, inserted 

 in the throat of the calyx. Ovarium free, 1-seeded. Styles 2. 

 Capsule valveless, membranous, covered by the indurated tube 

 of the calyx. Seed one, y\ in Scleranthus. Australian herbs. 

 Leaves opposite, subulate. Peduncles axillary, bearing 4 brae- 

 teas and 2 flowers at the apex, becoming after flowering elon- 

 gated and stiff. The ovarium, according to Forster, is some- 

 times 2-seeded. 



1 M. BIFLORUM (Forst. 1. c.) stems tufted ; branches quite 

 glabrous ; leaves denticulated at the base, the rest quite entire. 

 If.. G. Native of Van Diemen's Land, Maria Island in New 

 Holland, New Zealand, and of the Straits of Magellan. R. Br. 

 prod. p. 412. Forst. comm. goett. 1789. t. 1. M. peduncula- 

 tum, Labill. nov. holl. 1. t. 2. Ditoca muscosa, Gaertn. 1. c. 



Two-flowered Mniarum. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1823. PI. \ ft. 



2 M. FASCICULA'TUM (R. Br. prod. p. 412.) stems many from 

 the same neck, procumbent, branched ; branches clothed with 

 fine pubescence ; leaves denticulated their whole length, If. . G. 

 Native of Van Diemen's Land. 



Fascicled Mniarum. PI. procumbent. 



Cult. A mixture of loam, peat, and sand, will suit the species 

 of Mniarum, and they may be propagated either by seeds or 

 cuttings. 



II. SCLERA'NTHUS (from (T/cXijpoe, scleros, hard, and av- 

 &oc, anthos, a flower ; in reference to the dry juiceless calyx). 

 Lin. gen. no. 562. Gaertn. fruct. t. 126. R. Br. prod. 1. p. 412. 

 St. Hil. pi. libr. p. 58. Juss. mem. mus. 2. p. 387. 



LIN. SYST. Penta-Decdndria, Digynia. Calyx 5-cleft (f. 24. 

 a.), permanent, with an urceolate tube. Petals wanting. Sta- 

 mens inserted in the throat of the calyx, 10 (f. 24. a.), rarely 5 

 or 2. Ovarium free, 2-seeded. Styles 2 (f. 24. e.). Capsule 



FIG. 24- 



very thin, valveless, covered by the indurated tube of the calyx. 

 Seed one, hanging from a long funicle, which arises from the 

 bottom of the capsule, and is recurved at the apex. Small 

 herbs, with opposite linear leaves, which are rather connate at 

 the base. Flowers small, greenish white, sessile in the axils of 

 the forks of the branches. 



1 S. PERE'NNIS (Lin. spec. 580.) flowers decandrous ; lobes of 

 fructiferous calyx closed, obtuse, with white and membranous 

 edges. I/ . H. Native of Europe and the Levant, in dry sandy 

 fields. In England, on high open sandy fields, rare ; as about 

 Eldon, Suffolk, and plentifully near Snettingham, Norfolk ; near 

 Bury St. Edmunds ; and Scotland, on a gravelly bank near For- 

 far. Schkuhr, handb. t. 120. Fl. dan. t. 563. Smith, engl. bot. 

 t. 352. Ray, syn. p. 160. t. 5. f. 1. The Polish cochineal 

 (Coccus Polonicus) is found upon the roots in the summer 

 months. 



Perennial Knawel. Fl. July, Aug. England. PI. prostrate. 



2 S. POLYCA'RPUS (Lin. spec. p. 581.) flowers subdecan- 

 drous ; lobes of the calyx when in fruit rather spreading, and 

 without any margin, acute, shorter than the tube. O- H. Na- 

 tive in sandy fields about Montpelier, but never gathered else- 

 where in France ; also of Italy, according to Linnaeus. Column, 

 ecphr. 1. t. 294. It differs from S. dnnuus at first sight, in the 

 flowers being one-half smaller ; but it is probably merely a variety 

 of it. 



Many-fruited Knawel. PI. procumbent. 



3 S. A'NNUUS (Lin. spec. p. 

 580.) flowers subdecandrous ; 

 lobes of fructiferous calyx spread- 

 ing, immarginate, acutish, about 

 equal in length to the tube. G). 

 H. Native of Europe, the Le- 

 vant, also of North America, in 

 dry sandy cultivated fields ; plen- 

 tiful in some parts of Britain. 

 Fl. dan. 504. Smith, engl. hot.- t. 

 351. Knawel annuum, Scop, 

 carp. p. 501. There is a variety, 

 according to Leers, which has 

 only 5 or 7 stamens to each 

 flower. The Swedes and Ger- 

 mans receive the vapour arising 

 from a decoction of it into their 

 mouths to cure the tooth-ache. 



Annual Knawel. Fl. July, Aug. Britain. PI. foot. 



4 S. HIRSU'TUS (Presl. del. p. 65.) flowers with 5 petals and 

 5 stamens ; calyxes conniving, obtuse ; stamens equalling the 

 calyx in length ; anthers hairy ; stems pubescent. O-H. Na- 

 tive on Mount Etna, in the open regions. Leaves subulate, gla- 

 brous. Flowers capitate. 



Hairy Knawel. PI. prostrate. 



5 S. PU'NGENS (R. Br. prod. p. 412.) flowers pentandrous, 

 particularly having 5 fertile and 5 sterile stamens ; lobes of fruc- 

 tiferous calyx spreading; leaves subulate, triquetrous, mucro- 

 nate, pungent, rough on the keel and margins. Q. ? H. Na- 

 tive of New Holland, on the south coast. 



Pungent-leaved Knawel. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1826. PI. 

 procumbent. 



6 S. DIA'NDER (Rr. Br. prod. p. 412.) flowers diandrous : 

 stamens mixed with scales ; lobes of fructiferous calyx erect ; 

 leaves subulate, keeled, mucronulate, almost naked on the keel 

 and margins. Q. H. Native of Van Diemen's Land. 



Diandrous Knawel. PI. procumbent. 



Cult. The seeds of these plants only require to be sown in 

 the open border. None of the species are worth cultivating ex- 

 cept in botanic gardens. 



