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Stelldria.'] xiv. caryophyllacej]: : alsinejs. 



69 



usually glabrous, but rough with extremely minute elevated dots 

 occasionally ciliated at the margin, sometimes hairy on both sides' 

 Sepals lanceolate, white at the edges. Petals narrow deeply bifid' 

 pure white,_ twice as long as the sepals. Receptacle of seeds Ymes^r, 

 elongated : m all the other species it is very short. 



2, S. media With, {common CUckweed or ^S-.) ; leaves ovate 

 lower ones petiolate upper ones sessile, stems with an alternate 

 line of hairs on one side, petals 2-partite, stamens 5-10. 

 h,. B. t. 537. Alsine L. 



Road-sides and waste places, abundant. ©. Fl. almost the whole 

 year.— ^-^m weak, with alternate lines of hairs between each pair of 

 leaves, by which the species is readily distinjiuished. Leaves glabrous 

 the uppermost sessile ; the others on foot-stalks which are fringed with 

 hairs. Flowers small, white, on solitary, axillary and terminal stalks 

 A slender and apetalous var. occurs on the Sussex and Isle of Wio-ht 

 coasts, and about VVeybridge, Surrey ; its calyx is sometimes hafry, 

 sometimes naked. — This species is a good pot-herb, and small birds 

 are very fond of the seeds. 



, b. hohstea L. {greater S.) ; stem nearly erect with 4 rouo-h 

 sharp angles, leaves lanceolate much acuminate minutely 

 ciliated sessile, petals cloven to the middle twice as lono- as the 

 fr nerveless calyx. U. B. t. 511. ° 



! Woods and hedges, frequent. If. 4— 6.— Plants I— ] i ft. high 



rather rigid and brittle, somewhat glaucous. Flowers large and with 

 much broader petals than the two following, pure white. 2^a7iicle of 

 few flowers, with leafy bracteas. 



4. S. glauca With, {glaucous Marsh S.) : quite smooth and 

 glaucous, stem angled nearly erect, leaves linear-lanceolate 

 entn-e, flowers upon long solitary axillary footstalks, petals 

 bipartite much longer than the 3-nerved sepals. £J. B. t. 825 



Stems 1— U ft. 



^ Marshy places, margins of lakes, &c. % . 5—7. 

 high. Bracts with scarious margins. Flowers next in size to those 

 ot S. hohstea. Readily known from that and S. graminea by its 



narrower, glaucous leaves, solitary, axillary flowers, and narrower 

 sepals. 



5. ^graminea L. (lesser S.) ; stem ann:]ed nearly erect smooth, 

 leaves linear-lanceolate aciite entire dabrous ciliated, panicle 



much hrfin/»V»or1 T^r^+«lr, 1.: ^-j. ^ i ,i .^ 1 ^ 



. .^..v.v.v.iai.c av;utfc; tuLire j^iaurous ciuatea, panicle 



much branched, petals bipartite scarcely longer than the 3-nerved 

 sepals. E. B. t. 803. — /3. scapigera; stem short, panicle con- 



n+ ^1,. :„. g^ scapigera Willd.: 



sepals. 



tracted, leaves pubescent at the margins. 

 -E.5. t. 1269. "" 



v„W?-''?u'''^'' ^^^^^ ^""^ ^'^^^h'' common. -/3. « By the sides of ri- 

 vulets in the mountains of Badenoch between Loch Ereachd and Loch 



Laggan 



G, Don. 



thp on. V \ OT ^^" °*''^'" '''°^'^^' between Dalwhinnie Inn and 

 than he fi. ^^Sf^-) ^4- 5-8.-Stem 1 ft. high, more slender 

 than the two preceding, and readily distinguishable by its much 



