58 FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE RIVIERA 



SAQINA L. 



S. procumbens L. Procumbent Pearlwort. A small glabrous procumbent 

 weed. Leaves linear, almost subulate, sometimes ciliate. Flowers very small, 

 usually solitary, on long capillary pedicels. Sepals spreading, obtuse. Petals 

 shorter and often wanting. Capsules as long as or rather longer than sepals. 



Damp, sandy places, ascending to the high mountains. April-October. 



S. apetala L. Small flowered Pearlwort. A small annual procumbent weed 

 with glandular hairs on the pedicels, calyces and upper part of the stems. 

 Primary and lateral shoots all flowering. Radical leaves sub-rosulate. Leaves 

 linear-aristate. Petals minute or o, when present they are green. Pedicels 

 capillary. Sepals outspread in form of a cross when capsule is " ripe ". 



Damp, sandy places, paths, etc., very common. April-November. 



S. maritima Don. Sea Pearlwort. Leaves shorter and broader than the 

 last, glabrous and not aristate. Pedicels very long, always erect, glabrous. 

 Sepals all obtuse. 



Maritime sands and sandy fields. April-August. 



S. subulata Presl. is very rare and occurs at Tanneron and near La Seyne. 



SPERGULA L. 



S. arvensis L. Corn Spurrey. Annual weed with forked or fascicled 

 branches; pubescent, glandular. Leaves apparently whorled, linear-subulate, 

 rather fleshy. Stipules small, scarious. Sepals oval, obtuse. Seeds subglobular, 

 with narrow winged border. 



Sandy fields. March-September. 



S. pentandra L. A glabrous or glabrescent species. Leaves linear, acute, 

 fascicled, not channelled beneath. Stipules very short. Seeds bordered with a 

 very broad wing. 



Sandy fields in the crops. April-June. 



SPERQULARIA Pers. 



S. marginata Kittel. Sea Sandwort-Spurrey. Plant usually glabrous. 

 Leaves almost cylindric, sub-acute. Stipules usually entire. Pedicels long. 

 Capsule twice as long as calyx or less. Seeds orbicular, smooth, margins 

 thickened and broadly winged. Flowers pink or lilac. 



Maritime sands and fields flooded in winter. May- August. 



S. rubra Pers. = Alsine rubra Crantz (1766). Field Sandwort-Spurrey. 

 Annual or biennial. Leaves linear, flat, with short scarious stipules at base. 

 Stem much branched from the base. Capsule equalling the calyx. Flowers 

 rose coloured or pink, in racemose cymes. Mons. Foucaud has named 2 sub- 

 species from % the Var, viz. S. arenosa and S. Bocconei. 



Sandy or gravelly places. April-August. Very variable in the Var. 



S. SCgetalis Pers., very rare; S. Dillenii Lebel, S. media Pers., and 

 S. Heldreichii Fouc. also occur. 



POLYCARPON L. 



P. tetraphyllum L. Four-leaved Polycarp. A small and usually prostrate 

 annual. Leaves flat, ovate, opposite or whorled in lours. Stipules scarious. 

 Flowers small, 3-androus in crowded cymes. Sepals 5, keeled, entire. Stamens 

 3-5. Ovary i celled ; style short, 3-fid. 



Fields and sandy places, road-sides, etc. Fairly common in the littoral region 

 and very variable. May-July. 



SCLERANTHUS L. (Formerly placed in Paronychiaceae.) 

 S. annuus L. Annual Knawell. A low tufted annual, greyish-green in 

 colour. Leaves small, recurved, base often ciliate. Flowers minute, pale green, 



