180 . ‘hhe 2BsR TP E Se oH EB RvB AME 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and are placed at 
fmall diftances from one another: they are of a 
dufky green, fhort, and pointed at the ends. 
The flowers are fmall and white, and they 
are compofed each of five petals, undivided at 
the tips. 
The feed-veffel is oval; and the feeds are very 
numerous, fmall, and brown. 
It is common on old walls, and flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Aine minor multicaulis. 
Others, Alfine minima. 
6, Plantain-leaved Chickweed. 
Alfine foliis plantaginis. 
The root is compofed of numerous flender 
fibres. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, tender, and fix 
- inches high. 
The leaves ftand in pairs without footftalks : 
they are oblong and broad, largeft in the middle, 
pointed at the end, and of a pale green; and 
they have the ribs running, in the manner of 
thofe of plantain leaves, all lengthwife. 
This is a very obvious particular, and chiefly 
characterifes the plant. 
The flowers rife from the bofoms of the leaves 
on flender footftalks, or they ftand at the tops of 
the young fhoots, which rife from the leaves in 
great numbers : they are fmall and white. 
The feed-veffel is roundifh, and the feeds are 
{mall, numerous, kidney-fhaped, and brown. 
It is a native of our woods, and flowers in 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it M/ine plantaginis foliis, 
Others have followed him. 
The petals of the flower in this fpecies, as in 
the preceding, are undivided. 
Linnaeus makes the divifion of the petals a | 
generical character of Al/ine or chickweed: Mr. 
Ray did the fame before him; but we fee in thefe 
two plants the error of that determination: they 
plainly and palpably belong to the fame genus 
with thé common chickweed, and we have thus 
joined them with that, and others of its kind, 
under the fame common name alfne: Mr. Ray, 
feparating them on this flight account, has been 
obliged to place them among the fpurreys, /per- 
gule, plants with which they have no alliance. 
7. Common Stitchwort. 
Alfine flore majore anguftifolia. 
The root is flender and creeping : it runs un- 
der the furface, and fends out clufters of fibres 
from many parts. 
The ftalks are numerous, upright, and flen- 
der: they are of a brownith green, harfh, and 
edged; and toward the upper part have many 
branches. 
._ They fupport themfelves among bufhes, and 
rife to a foot and half high: 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and are long, nar- 
row, and fharp-pointed. 
‘The flowers are numerous, fnow white, large, 
and very beautiful: they confift’ each of five 
petals divided at the ends; and they ftand on flen- 
der footftalks growing from the tops of the 
branches, and of the upper divifions of the ftalks. 
The feed-veffels are large and roundifh; and 
the feeds are numerous and fmall. 
It is common under hedges, and flowers in 
May. 
_ C. Bauhine calls it Caryophyllus holofteus arvenfis 
glaber flore majore. Others, Gramen leucanthemum. 
We Stitchwort. 
8. Small-flowered Stitchwort. 
Alfine anguftifolia flore minore. 
The root is flender and creeping. 
The ftalks are numerous, ftraggling, weak, 
and a foot high. 
The leaves are narrow and long, harfh to the 
touch, and of a bluifh green. 
The flowers are white and fmall: they grow 
at the tops of the ftalks, on flender pedicles, and 
they are very numerous. 
They confift each of five petals, divided at the 
edge; and they have red buttons on the threads : 
this is a fingular circumftance, and diftinguithes 
the plant at fight. 
The feed-veffel is roundifh, and the feeds are 
numerous. 
It is common under hedges, together with the 
former; and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Caryophyllus holofteus arven- 
Sis glaber flore minore. Others, Gramen leucanthe~ 
mum minus. 
g.-Low Stitchwort with great flowers. 
Aljine anguftifolia humilior floribus maximus, 
The root is compofed of ‘a tuft of fibres, and 
does not creep under the furface, as in the other. 
The ftalks are numerous, fharply edged, rigid, 
harfh to the touch, and firm: they are not much 
branched, and they are ten inches high: they 
fupport themfelves very well at this height, and 
do not need the affiftance of bufhes, as the com- 
mon kind. 
The leaves are narrow, long, and fharp-point- 
ed: they ftand in pairs, and are of a greyifh 
green colour. : 
The flowers are large and white: they ftand 
at the tops of the branches, ana are compofed 
of five petals notched at the top. 
The feed-veffel is round, and the feeds are nu- 
merous. : 
It is a native of our fen counties, and flowers 
in June. 
Ray calls it Caryopbyllus boloftens arvenfis 
medius. Mentzelius, Caryophyllus holofteus folis 
gramineis. 
10, Fine-leaved Chickweed. 
Alfine tenuifolia. 
The root is a tuft of long and flender fibres : 
the leaves that firft rife from it are extremely 
narrow, and of a pale green: many ftalks rife 
among thefe, and they then grow yellow, and 
foon fade. 
a ae ftalks are lender, upright, and ten inches 
igh. 
They are of a yellowifh green, not much 
branched, and divided at the top into a wide head. 
re The 
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