SteUaria.] XII. CARYOPHYLLACE^. 78 



the capsule opening in 5 valves, which are entire or shortly bifid, seldom 

 deeply cleft as in the other Stettarice. Stems weak, often a foot or more 

 long. Lower leaves small, on long stalks, upper ones more sessile or 

 stem-clasping, often 1 to 2 inches long, thin and flaccid, with a pro- 

 minent midrib, and very pointed. Flowers in the forks of leafy cymes, 

 the pedicels turned down after flowering. Sepals about 2 lines long at the 

 time of flowering, enlarged when in fruit. Petals narrow, deeply cleft, 

 about one half longer than the calyx. Malachium aquaticum, Fries. 



In wet places, along ditches and streams, &c., very widely diffused 

 over Europe, and Russian and central Asia, except the extreme north, 

 and migrating with man to several other parts of the world. Not 

 common in Britain, and not occurring south of Yorkshire and Cheshire. 

 Fl. summer. The flowers have occasionally, but seldom, only 3 styles. 



2. S. nexnorum, Linn. (fig. 165). Wood S. Rootstock creeping, of 

 some years' duration. Stems weak, emitting creeping branches from 

 the base, the flowering branches ascending to 6 inches or a foot, with 

 a few short spreading hairs. Leaves heart-shaped, pointed, of a thin 

 texture, usually glabrous or slightly ciliated on the edges, the lower 

 ones small, on long stalks, the upper 1 to 2 inches long, with much 

 shorter stalks or nearly sessile. Flowers in elegant, loose, spreading 

 cymes, on long, slender pedicels, with small bracts at their base. 

 Sepals about 3 lines, the petals nearly twice as long, narrow, and 

 deeply cleft. Styles 3. Capsule straight, opening to near the base 

 into 3 bifid or 6 entire valves. 



In moist woods, throughout northern Europe and the hilly districts 

 of central, and some parts of southern Europe, and across Russian 

 Asia to western North America. In Britain, chiefly in northern and 

 western England and southern Scotland. Not recorded from Ireland. 

 Fl. summer. 



3. S. media, Cyrill. (fig. 166). Chickweed. A weak, much branched 

 annual, glabrous, with the exception of a line of hairs down one side of 

 the stem, and a few long ones on the leafstalks. Leaves small, ovate 

 and pointed, the lower ones stalked and often heart-shaped, the upper 

 sessile and narrower. Flowers small, on rather long, slender pedicels, 

 in irregularly forked leafy cymes. Petals shorter than the calyx, deeply 

 cleft, with narrow, slightly diverging lobes. Stamens often only 5. 

 Styles 3. 



In cultivated and waste places, roadsides, and edges of streams 

 throughout Europe and northern Asia, and carried, out as a weed to 

 all the temperate and colder regions of the globe. Abundant in 

 Britain. Fl. the whole season. [There are two varieties : S. media 

 proper, with obtusely tubercled seeds ; S. umbro:a, Opitz, with these 

 acutely tubercled.] 



4. S. uliginosa, Murr. (fig. 167). Bog A weak, slender, glabrous 

 annual, in some measure intermediate between S. media and 8. gramvnea. 

 Stems usually about 6 inches, rarely near a foot long, much shorter 

 and tufted when on dry ground. Leaves much narrower than in 8. 

 media, but much shorter and broader than in S. graminea, oblong or 

 lanceolate. Flowers small, in loose, slender, forked panicles, which, 

 as in S. graminea, soon become lateral. Sepals about 1 lines long. 

 Petals shorter, with very narrow spreading lobes. Styles 3. 



In marshes and wet ditches, widely spread over Europe, Russian 



