120 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



as long as (or a little longer than) tlie sepals. Seeds semicii-cular- 

 obovate, rugose, with depressed tubercles. 



On -wall tops, garden walks, and other dry places. Apparently 

 rather rare, but probably often passed over as S. apctala ; and it is 

 not unlikely that the distribution of both is similar. The most 

 northern locality in which I have gathered it is on the shore of the 

 Firth of Forth, at Morrison's Haven, between Musselburgh and 

 Preston Pans. 



England, Ireland, Scotland. Annual. Spring and Summer. 



This plant resembles S. apetala so closely that, but for the small 

 amount of ditference which separates all the species of this genus, 

 I should have felt strongly inclined to regard the two as sub- 

 species. The chief difference lies in the mucronate points of the 

 outer sepals in S. ciliata. The leaves are also rather more acute, 

 and the whole plant is of a paler and yellower green. 



I confess that, even with aid of authentic specimens, I am 

 unable to distinguish the various plants the names of which are 

 given as synonymous above. S. patula seems to include the most 

 luxuriant forms, with long slender decumbent stems ; S. ambigua, 

 a stouter, more erect stemmed and less branched plant ; S. filicaulis, 

 a plant with very numerous slender decumbent stems Avith short 

 internodes : but like the varieties of S. maritima, they appear to be 

 little more than states produced by differences of soil and situation. 



The peduncles of all the British specimens I have examined are 

 glabrous, but this does not appear to be so on the Continent. The 

 whole plant varies much in hairiness, but has usually less of 

 this than S. apetala. 



Fries' Small-Jloioered Pearlioort. 



SPECIES IV.— S A GIN A PROCUMBENS. Linn. 

 Plate CCXLVIII. 

 Eeich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. V. Caryoph. Tab. CCI. Fig. 4959. 



Eootstock slightly branched. Stems numerous, rather slender, 

 the primary or central one reduced to a barren rosette of 

 leaves, and never bearing any flowers ; the lateral one prostrate, 

 and generally rooting at the base, ascending at the apex. Lower 

 leaves crowded ; stem leaves rather distant ; all slightly fleshy, 

 strapshaped-linear, nearly flat, rather obtuse at the apex, which is 

 suddenly contracted into a short mucro. Cyme very few-flowered, 

 often reduced to a solitary flower. Pedicels recurved at the tip 

 after flowering, ultimately erect, very long and slender, glabrous. 



