8 tHE F&ANItENlA FAMILY. 



leaves, forming little terminal leafy heads or short spikes. Caylx fur- 

 rowed, about the length of the leaves. Petals small, pink. 



In maritime sands and salt-marshes, common round the Mediterranean 

 and in Asia, extends np the western coasts of Spain and France, and 

 varieties are abundant in similar localities in the southern hemisphere. 

 In Britain it is only on the south-eastern coasts of England, from Yar- 

 mouth to Kent. FL. summer. The hairy, variety, F. pulverulenta, often 

 distinguished as a species, common in the south, does not appear to 

 extend to Britain. 



XII. CAROPHYLLACE.S. THE PINK FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with opposite entire leaves and 

 no stipules, or, in a very few genera, small scarious stipules ; 

 the branches usually knotted at each pair of leaves ; the flowers 

 not yellow, usually in dichotomous cymes or panicles. Sepals 

 4 or 5, free, or united into a tubular calyx. Petals as many, 

 twisted in the bud, sometimes minute or wanting. Stamens 

 free, twice as many as the petals, or fewer, inserted under the 

 ovary. Styles 2 to 5, linear, stigmatic along their whole length. 

 Capsule 1-celled, or divided into cells at the base only, opening 

 at the top into as many, or twice as many teeth or valves as 

 there are styles. Seeds several, attached to a shorter or longer 

 central column ; embryo curved round a mealy albumen or very 

 rarely nearly straight. 



A considerable family, widely spread over the globe, most numerous 

 in temperate regions, especially in the northern hemisphere, extending 

 into the Arctic Circle, and to the summits of the Alps, but rare within 

 the tropics. The species are readily distinguished by their foliage and 

 habit from all British polypetalous plants, except Frankenia, Elatine, and 

 Linum catharticum, which have their ovary and capsule completely 

 divided into cells, and Paronychiacece, which have but one seed in the 

 ovary and capsule. 



The genera into which the species are distributed are often very arti- 

 ficial, depending on the number of sepals, petals, stamens, or styles. 

 These numbers are not indeed strictly constant, even in different flowers 

 of the same individual ; but in general by far the greater number of 

 flowers in each individual will be found to agree in this respect with the 

 characters assigned to the genus to which it belongs. Care must there- 

 fore be taken, especially in the smaller-flowered Alsinece, to count the 

 number of parts in several flowers wherever any hesitation is felt as to 

 the genus it should be referred to. 



Sub-order 1. SILKNEJB. 



Sepals united in a tubular or campanulate calyx. 

 Two or four scales or bracts closely embracing the base or 



the whole of the calyx 1. DIANTHU8. 



JTo scales at the base of the calyx. 



Styles 2 2. SAPONARIA 



Styles 3 . . 3. SILENE. 



Styles 6 (rarely 4) ... .... 4. LYCHNIS. 



