218 THE -PAEONTCHIA TAMILT. 



II. EIERNIARV. HEENIARIA. 



Herbs, either annual or with a perennial stock of short duration ; with 

 prostrate, ranch branched, annual stems ; opposite leaves ; very mmute, 

 scarcely visible scarious stipules ; and small, green, granular flowers, crowded 

 in Uttle axillary cymes. Calyx of 5 divisions. Petals 5, minute and fili- 

 form. Stamens 5. Stigmas 2. Seed solitary, in a tliin, iudehiscent cap- 

 sule enclosed in the calyx. 



A genus of very few species, all growing in sandy places, chiefly near the 

 sea, in southern Europe, central Asia, and Africa. 



1. Coxamon Herniary. Hemiaria glabra, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 206, and IT. ciliata, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2857. 

 Rupture-toort.) 



The very much branched stems spread along the ground to the length of 

 a few inches, and are usually crowded from the base with their little gi-een 

 flowers intermixed with small, opposite, oblong, obovate, or rarely orbicular 

 leaves. The whole plant is glabrous, with the exception of a few usually 

 recurved hairs at the edges of the leaves. 



In sandy places, in temperate and southern Europe and Russian Asia, ex- 

 tending into Scandinavia, but not to high latitudes. In Britam, it occurs 

 in several counties of southern and central England, and m Ireland. Fl. 

 summer. It varies with the clusters of flowers all crowded into a leafy 

 spike, or the lower ones separated by considerable intervals. 



III. XXJI.ECEBRUM:. ILLECEBRUM. 



Calyx of 5 thickish white divisions, hooded at the top, with a subulate 

 point. Petals minute, fihform. Stamens 5. Stigmas 2, sessile. Seed soli- 

 tary, in a capsule enclosed in the calyx, but opening at the base in 5 or 10 

 valves, which remain cohering at the top. 



A genus now reduced to a single species, but which formerly uicluded 

 several south European ones, now forming the genus Paronychia. 



1. T^Hiorled Illecebrum. lUecebrum verticillatum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 895.) 



A small, glabrous, much branched annual, prostrate and spreading at the 

 base ; the branches ascending, from 1 to 3 mches in height, covered in their 

 wliole length with the shining white whorls of flowers, in the axils of oppo- 

 site, obovate, green leaves. Sepals somewhat enlarged after flowering, but 

 even then but little more than half a line long, green on the inner edge, but 

 tliickened and of a pure white 0!i the back, with a fine point, giving the 

 whole calyx a 5-ribbed form, something Hke the capsule of a Sedtim. Petals, 

 stamens, and ovary very minute. 



In sands, and especially in sandy marshes, in central and southern Europe, 

 fi'oni the west coast to the Russian frontier. In Britain, only in Devon- 

 sliire and Cornwall. Fl. summer. 



IV. SCIiERANTH. SCLERANTHUS. 



Small, much branched herbs, witli opposite, narrow leaves, connected by 

 a narrow, transparent edge at the base ; and numerous small, green flowers, 



