646 STELLARIA. [CLASS X. ORDER in. 



three parts of the length often narrower towards the base, the margin 

 quite smooth. Panicle lateral, the stem continued beyond it from two 

 to six inches, and more leafy above the panicle than below it, the 

 panicle much spreading, from six to eighteen inches long, slender, 

 much branched, and divided in a forked manner, with a solitary flower 

 from the axis of the division, erect, or spreading when in flower, 

 reflexed in fruit. Bracteas lanceolate, acuminate, membranous, with 

 a keeled mid -rib, the margins quite smooth, rarely with a lew ciliated 

 short scattered hairs. Flotoers white, numerous, small, on long very 

 slender smooth peduncles. Calyx quite smooth, conical at the base, in 

 five lanceolate three ribbed segments, with a narrow membranous 

 margin, sometimes fringed with a few fine hairs, before expanding, 

 and as long or rather longer than the deeply bifid petals, of narrow 

 lobes. Stamens with long slender filaments, yellow ovale anthers, of 

 two cells. Styles longer than the calyx, with slender downy stigmas, 

 rolled back. Capsule cylindrical, rather longer than the calyx, smooth 

 and shining. Seeds numerous, small, kidney-shaped, a dull leaden 

 brown, strongly marked with wrinkled lines, smooth. 



Habitat. — Damp banks and boggy places, in the Swann pool near 

 Lincoln. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



Specimens of this plant we collected in June, 1834, and have since 

 had excellent specimens of the same sent to us by Dr. Nicholson from 

 the same place. Though nearly allied to the last species we have no 

 doubt it will be found distinct from it, though we have not had any 

 opportunity of proving its constancy to specimens above described by 

 cultivation. It is a remarkable looking plant when growing, from the 

 very much branched spreading panicles, mixing themselves together in 

 a confused manner, and almost without any appearance of leaves 

 amongst them, for they are quite naked, and the stem, which is con- 

 tinued, is frequently not half as long as the panicle; besides, however, 

 the habit of its growth, the leaves are narrower, linear, and not with an 

 acuminated point, the petals are shorter, the capsule scarcely longer 

 than the calyx, often shorter, and the seeds are a darker colour, much 

 more wrinkled, and the whole plant is nearly free from hairs. There 

 are very rarely a few at the base of the leaves, or the margins of the 

 calyx, as well as the bracteas. 



8. S*. scapi'gera, Willd. (Fig. 736.) Many-stalked Stitchtvort. Stem 

 square, smooth, shorter than the flower stalks ; leaves linear, lanceo- 

 late, the margins downy ; crowded flowers on long peduncles, in a 

 terminal short branched panicle ; bractea lanceolate, membranous, 

 downy ; petals deeply bifid, as long as the lanceolate acute three ribbed 

 downy segments of the calyx. 



English Botany, t. 1269.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 304.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 208. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 52. 



