120 THB PTISTK FAMILY. 



Europe. In Britain, only known on the summit of Little Kilrannoch, a 

 mountain in Forfarsbiire. Fl. summer. 



V. PEARXi^VORT. SAGHNA. 



Small, matted or tufted herbs, with subulate leaves and small flowers. 

 Sepals 4 or 5. Petals 4 or 5, small, entire or slightly notclied, sometimes 

 entirely deficient. Stamens 4 or 5, or twice those numbers. Styles 4 or 5. 

 Capsule opening in as many valves. 



A small genus, with nearly the geographical range of Sandwort, from 

 which it only differs in the number of styles. The 5-styled species were 

 formerly included in Spurry, whicli is now reduced to one or two species 

 easily distinguished by their apparently whorled foliage. 



Sepals, stamens, and styles nsuaUy 4. Petals as many, or none . . "[. Procumbent P. 

 Sepals, petals, and styles 5. Stamens usually 10. 

 Sepals obtuse. 

 Petals not longer than the calyx. Leaves not clustered ... 2. Alpine P. 

 Petals longer than the calyx. Upper leaves with clusters of 



very small ones in their axils 3. Knotted P. 



Sepals pointed Vernal SandKort. 



1. Procumbent Pearlwrort. Sa^na procumbens, Linn. 



(Eug. Bot. t. 880. <S. apetala, Eng. Bot. t. 881, and S. clUata, 



Brit. FI.) 



A minute annual, or perhaps perennial, 1 to 2 inches or seldom 3 inches 

 high, sometimes erect fi'om the base, especially at fii-st, but usually branch- 

 ing and decumbent at the base, forming little spreading tufts, usually gla- 

 brous, but having often an exceedingly minute glandular down. Leaves 

 small and subulate, joined at the base in a short, broad, scarious sheath, the 

 radical ones longer and often tufted. Flowers very small, on capillary pedi- 

 cels much longer than the leaves. Sepals about a line long, and obtuse. 

 Petals much shorter, often wanting. Valves of the capsule as long as, or 

 rather longer than the sepals. All these parts are usually in fours, but they 

 may often be met with in fives. 



In a great variety of situations, but especially in waste or stony places, 

 wet or dry heaths, sandy marshes, etc., throughout Eiu-ope, in Russian and 

 central Asia, North America, Australia, etc. Abundant in Britain. Fl.from 

 spring till autitmn. It varies considerably, and has been divided into many 

 supposed species. Small, slender, but little-branched specimens, with the 

 petals very minute or wanting, constitute the S. apetala ; in the & ciliata 

 the branches are more diffuse. A seacoast variety, called S. - maritima 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 2195), presents the usual maritime differences of somewhat 

 firmer and thicker stems and leaves. 



2. Alpine Pearlwort. Sa^ina Iiinnsei, Presl. 



{Spergula saginoides, Eng. Bot. t. 2105. Sagina saxatilis and S. suhulata, 



Brit. Fl.) 



. Yery near the procumlent P., but it fonns an undoubtedly perennial 

 stock (although often flowering the fii-st year, so as to appear annual), the 

 radical leaves are rather longer, the petals are more conspicuous, usually 

 considerably longer than the sepals, and there are almost always 5 sepals, 

 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 5 styles and valves of the capsule. 



