THE GREATER STITCHWORT. 62 



ance very early in the year. The long, narrow, rigid, sharp- 

 pointed leaves are arranged in pairs, which are more or less 

 connected at their bases. The flowers are produced in a 

 panicle of a few flowers only, which consist of five almost 

 nerveless sepals, five petals which are as long again as the 

 sepals and cleft almost to the middle. They are succeeded by 

 a globose capsule containing many seeds. There are ten 

 stamens and three styles. Flowers April to June. 



The genus Stellaria is included in the Natural Order 

 Caryophylleae, or the Pink tribe, of which we shall have further 

 examples. 



I. The Lesser Stitchwort (S. graminea) is a similar, but much more slender 

 plant, with exceedingly narrow leaves, smaller flowers arranged in a much-branched 

 panicle, and with red anthers. After flowering the flower-stalks hang downwards, 

 but afterwards rise to a horizontal position. The sepals are as long as the narrow 

 petals, united at their bases, and have three nerves. Capsule nodding. Flowers 

 May to July. 



II. The Marsh Stitchwort (S. palustris). Smooth, with a fine bloom {glaucous). 

 Sepals united at base, three-nerved, not so long as the petals. Flowers solitary on 

 long stalks. Marshes and wet places. May to July. 



III. The Common Chickweed (S. media), which we have already figured (plate 54 

 ante), is also a member of this genus. The stem trails along the ground^ Is very 

 brittle and marked with a line of fine hairs up one side. The flowers are incon- 

 spicuous, on account of the sepals being longer than the petals, which are, in fact, 

 often absent altogether. It grows everywhere, and maybe found flowering through- 

 out the year. It has followed the Englishman wherever he has gone about the earth. 



The name of the genus is from the Latin, Stella, a star, in reference to the star- 

 like character of the blossoms. 



Silverweed (Potentilla anserina). 



The beautiful but too common Silverweed may be taken as a 

 good representative of a genus of Rose-worts that may be 

 conveniently called Cinquefoils, although the leaf of this species 

 has many instead of five divisions. This is the plant that 

 grows in dense patches by the roadside, erecting its long 

 pinnate silky leaves and showing the silvery-greyness of the 

 underside. Its rootstock is the centre from which many 

 rooting runners radiate. The toothed leaflets are not opposite, 



