72 THE PINK FAMILY. [Cerastium. 



The nearly glabrous form, which is the C. alpinum of most Continental 

 botanists, is not so common in Britain as the woolly one, the C. lanatum 

 of some foreign botanists. These two were formerly distinguished by 

 British botanists as C. alpinum and C. latifolium, but the latter name is 

 now generally given to a variety with a shorter pubescence, and usually 

 with a shorter and broader capsule and larger seeds, but these differences 

 often appear quite inappreciable. The C. latifolium, Linn. ? of the Alps of 

 central Europe is not British. [A Cerastium occurs in the Shetland 

 Isles, C. nigrescens, Edmonstone, which has seeds larger than those of 0. 

 alpinum, covered with a loose testa as in true latifolium. It is the 

 alpinum, var. JEdmonstonei, of Mr. N. E. Brown.] 



4. C. trigynum, Vill. (fig. 163). Starwort C. Stems shortly per- 

 ennial, prostrate and intricately branched, but much more slender than 

 in C. alpinum ; the whole plant glabrous, except minute hairs down one 

 side of the branches, or rarely generally hairy. Leaves narrow, usually 

 curved to one side. Flowering branches shortly ascending, with 1 or 2 

 large flowers, on rather long peduncles, as in C. alpinum ; but the styles 

 are 3, very seldom 6, 4, or even 5, the teeth of the capsule always double 

 the number of the styles. 



In moist, alpine situations, in Europe and Russian Asia to the Arctic 

 Circle. Frequent in the Breadalbane range in Scotland, and other 

 mountains to the northward. Near Bantry in Ireland. PL. summer. 



X. STELLAEIA. STARWORT. 



Annuals or perennials, generally more glabrous than Cerastium, the 

 leaves usually pointed and often cordate, the sepals more pointed and less 

 distinctly scarious at the edge. Sepals 5. Petals 5, deeply bifid. Stamens 

 10, occasionally reduced to 5 or fewer. Styles 3, or rarely 5. Capsule 

 opening to the middle, or lower down in as many or twice as many valves. 



A large genus, extending over nearly the whole geographical range of 

 the family, and generally a natural one, although some species, especially 

 S. media and S. uliginosa, resemble Arenaria trinervis, and can only be 

 distinguished by a close inspection of the minute petals and capsules. 

 Most of the species are occasionally, though rarely, apetalous. 



Lower leaves stalked, ovate or heart-shaped. 

 Petals much longer than the calyx. 



Five styles in most of the flowers 1.8. aquatica. 



Three styles 2. S. nemorum. 



Petals shorter or scarcely longer than the calyx. 



Lower leaves ovate, cordate, on long stalks 8. S. media,. 



All the leaves narrowed at the base, sessile or shortly stalked . 4. S. uliginosa. 

 All the leaves narrow-lanceolate or linear, and sessile or nearly so. 

 Petals shorter or scarcely longer than the calyx. 



Plant annual. Leaves oblong or lanceolate, short . . 4. S. uhginosa. 



Stock perennial. Leaves narrow-lanceolate or linear . . 6. S. graminea. 

 Petals considerably longer than the calyx. 



Leaves very narrow. Sepals distinctly 3-nerved . . . . 6. S. glauca. 

 Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Nerves of the sepals 



scarcely perceptible 7. 8. Holostea. 



1. S. aquatica, Scop. (fig. 164). Water S. A perennial with much 

 of the habit and the heart-shaped leaves of S. nemorum, but on a rather 

 larger scale, usually more pubescent, and slightly viscid, the flowers 

 smaller, and always known by all or most of them having 5 styles, and 



