CARYOPHYLLACE^.. 27 



Plate 108. 



SPERGULARIA, Pers. 



Sepala herbacea. Petala 5, ovalia, raro abortiva. Styli 

 3-5. Capsula unilocularis, 3 - S-valvis, polysperma ; valvis 

 dum sepalis numero seqiialibus iisdem alternis. Embryo 

 incomplete annularis. — Folia ssepiiis fasciculata, nee rite 

 verticillata, carnosula ; stipulis scariosis conspicuis. 



Spergularia, Pers. Ench. 1. p. 504 (Sect. Arenariae). Cainbess. in St. 



Hil. Fl. Bras. 2. p. 171. t. 110. Endl. Gen. 5218. 

 Balardia, Cambess. in op. cit. 2. p. 180. t. 111. 

 Lepigonum, Fries. Walilb. Fl. Gothob. p. 45. 

 Stipularia, Haworth, Synops. p. 104. 



Spergula, Sect. Spergularia, Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Am. 1. p. 175. 

 ArenarijE Sp. stipulatae, Linn., etc. 



Spwrrcy-SandMort. 



Calyx of five herbaceous sepals, united barely at the 

 base, imbricated in aestivation, persistent. Petals 5, oval or 

 obovate, usually conspicuous (rarely wanting), slightly peri- 

 gynous, imbricated in asstivation. Stamens 10, inserted into 

 a slightly perigynous annular disk, or frequently by abortion 

 5, alternate with the petals, sometimes reduced to three, two, 

 or one : filaments subulate : anthers introrse, two-celled, 

 the cells opening longitudinally. Ovary one-celled : styles 3 

 to 5, distinct or nearly so, the inner face stigmatose. Ovules 

 indefinite, borne on a columnar central basilar placenta, am- 

 phitropous. 



Capsule chartaceous, ovoid, one-celled, three - five-valved ; 

 the valves, when five, alternate with the sepals. Seeds nu- 

 merous, lenticular-compressed, often surrounded by a scarious 

 or winged margin. Embryo uncinate or incompletely annu- 

 lar, partly surrounding the farinaceous albumen. 



Herbs depressed, with the leaves more or less fleshy, fili- 

 form or setaceous, commonly fascicled in the axils, but not 



