Cerastium.] CAEYOPHYLLEJE. 61 



8. C. tri'gyimm; Villars ; stem with alternating hairy lines, leaves 

 small narrow oblong-lanceolate glabrous, cymes 1-3-fld., bracts glandular 

 or glabrous, margins broadly membranous. Stella'ria cerastoi'des, L. 

 Alpine and subalpine rills, rare, Mid. Scotland and Ireland ; ascends to 3,700 

 ft. ; fl. July-Aug. — A smaller and more delicate species than the two pre- 

 ceding alpine ones, nearly glabrous. Leaves j-§ in., distant, obtuse, often 

 recurved. Flowers ^ in. diam., homogamous ; pedicels very slender. Sepals 

 linear-oblong, spreading, 1-nerved. Petals deeply 2-fid. Styles usually 3. 

 Capsule longer than the sepals. — Distrib. Alps of Europe, N. and W. 

 Asia to the Himalaya, Arctic regions. — Intermediate between Cerastium 

 and Stellaria. 



7. STELItA'RIA, L. STITCHWORT. 



Slender, usually glabrous herbs. Leaves narrow or broad. Flowers in 

 dichotomous cymes, white, small, honeyed, proterandrous. Sepals 5, 

 rarely 4. Petals 5, rarely 4, 2-fid or 2-partite. Stamens 10 (rarely 8 5 or 

 3) more or less perigynous, rising and dehiscing in 2 sets. Disk annular 

 elongating, or of 5 interstaminal glands. Ovary 1 -celled ; styles 3, or 5 

 and opposite the petals, ovules many. Capsule short, splitting below the 

 middle into as many simple or 2-fid valves as there are styles. Seeds 

 compressed, granulate ; embryo annular. — Distrib. All temp, and cold 

 regions ; species 70. — Etym. Stella, from the star-like flowers. 



Section 1. Mala'chium, Fries (gen.). Sepals free to the base. Styles 

 5, rarely 3. Capsule with 5 2-fid valves. 



1. S. aquat'ica, Scopoli ; stems diffuse decumbent angular slightly 

 glandular above, leaves ovate-cordate. Cerastium aquaticum, L. 



Borders of ditches, streams, &c, from Yorksouthd. ; fl. July-Aug. — Perennial. 

 Stem 1-3 ft., brittle, branched, trailing over bushes. Leaves 1-1| in., mem- 

 branous, lower shortly petioled, acute, sometimes ciliate. Flowers § in. 

 diam., axillary. Sepals lanceolate, enlarged in fruit. Petals white, lob^s 

 diverging. Capsule 1 in., ovoid, a little longer than the sepals ; pedicel 

 deflexed, tip curved. — Distrib. Europe, N. Africa, 1ST. and W. Asia. 



Section 2. Stellaria proper. Sepals free to the base. Stamens sub- 

 perigynous. Styles 3. Capsule with 6 entire valves. 



2. S. nem'orum, L. ; stem ascending glabrous or hairy all round, leaves 

 ovate acuminate, lower subcordate long-petioled, upper cauline sessile, 

 cymes lax, petals longer than the sepals. 



Shady places from Dumbarton and Moray to S. Wales and Hereford ; 

 ascends to 2,700 ft. ; Channel Islands ? fl. May- Aug. — Glabrous or 

 pilose with jointed hairs and slightly glandular. Stem 1-2 ft., stout, terete, 

 brittle, shining. Leaves 1-3 in., membranous, ciliate. Flowers ^-f in. diam. ; 

 pedicels very slender. Sepals lanceolate, obtuse, margins scarious. Capmle 

 ovoid, as long as the sepals ; pedicels spreading or reflexed. — Distrib. 

 Europe (Arctic), excl. Greece and Turkey. 



