68 CARYOPLTYLLFJE. [Spergularia. 



1. S. ru'bra, Pers. ; annual or biennial, leaves linear flat acute, stipules 

 cleft, capsule equalling the calyx, seeds plano-convex tubercled, margins 

 thickened not winged. Arcnaria ru'bra, L. Lepig'onum ru'brum, Fr. 

 Gravelly and sandy soils, from Ross southd. ; rare in Ireland ; Channel 



Islands ; fl. June-Sept. — Pubescent and glandular above. Stem much 

 branched from the base ; branches 4-12 in., spreading, prostrate. Leaves 

 J-J in. Stipules connate, silvery, torn. Flowers | in. diam., solitary or in 

 subracemose cymes; pedicels short, spreading or reflexed, erect in fruit. 

 Petals rosy, shorter than the obtuse lanceolate sepals. Stamens 5 or 10. — 

 Distrib. Europe, N. and S. Africa, N. and W. Asia to India, America, 

 Australia. 



2. S. sali'na, Presl ; annual or biennial, leaves ^-cylindric acumi- 

 nate, stipules entire short, capsule longer than the calyx, seeds orbicular 

 plano-concave smooth or papillar, margin thickened winged or not. Lepig'- 

 onum sali'nu?n, Kindb. 



Muddy and rocky places by the sea, N. to Shetland ; Ireland ; Channel 

 Islands ; fl. June- Aug. — More or less pubescent and glandular. Branches 

 stout from a small rootstock, compressed. Stipules dark, deltoid. Pedicels 

 equalling or longer than the capsule. Petals shorter than the calyx, rose. 

 Capsule J in. Seeds pale brown. — Distrib. Europe, N. and W. Asia, N. 

 and S. Africa, N. America. 



S. sali'na proper ; seeds smooth, pedicels equalling the bracts. — Var. L. 

 me'dium, Fries; pedicels shorter than the leaf -like bracts, seeds nearly 

 smooth. — Var. L. neglec'tum, Kindb. ; glandular above, upper pedicels 

 longer than the searious bracts, seeds papillose. 



3. S. me'dia, Pers. ; perennial, usually glabrous, leaves ^-cylindric 

 subacute, stipules usually entire, pedicels long, capsule twice as long as 

 the calyx or less, seeds orbicular, smooth, margins thickened and broadly- 

 winged. S. mari'na, Leb. Arcnaria marginata, DC. Lepig'onum sali'- 

 num, Wahl. 



Muddy salt marshes, from Orkney southd. ; fl. June-Aug. — Rootstock woody ; 

 branches stout, compressed. Leaves fleshy, stipules broad. Flowers ^ in. 

 diam. Petals pale, as long as the sepals. Capsule f in. (the largest of 

 the genus).— Distrib. Europe, N. and W. Asia, N. and S. Africa, America, 

 Australia. 



4. S. rupes'tris, Lebel ; perennial, glandular-pubescent, leaves |-cylin- 

 dric fleshy acute, stipules subentire, capsule equalling the calyx, seeds 

 pyriform compressed, margin thickened not winged. Lepig'onum rupes'tre, 

 Kindb. Suppl. L. rupic'oJa, Kindb. (Bab.). 



Rocky places near the sea, from Ross southd., not common ; fl. June-Aug. — 

 Habit and size of S. me'dia, but glandular, with very different seeds — 

 Distrib. France, Spain, Italy, and probably elsewhere in N. and S. temp, 

 regions. 



12. POLYCAR'PON, L. 



Annual herbs. Leaves flat, opposite or whorled ; stipules searious. 

 Flowers small, in crowded bracteate cymes. Sepals 5, keeled, entire. 



