120 DECANDRIA DIGYNIA. Saponaria. 



hairs. Ls. hand-shaped, in three, or pedate in five segments, 

 swollen, fleshy, upper stalk ones undivided. FL small, white. 

 Cal. urn-shaped. Pet. scarcely exceeding the caL This plant 

 flowers soon after Draba verna ; becomes in sunny situations of 

 red colour. Plant small. Stem in dry situations, sometimes 

 unbranched, and Is. entire. 



SCLERANTHUS.' Knawel." 



S. dnnuus. Annual K. Calyx of the fruit, with spread- 

 ing, taper, acute, segments. Stems spreading. E. B. 

 351, Polygonum selinoides, sive knawel. G. E. 



5m. 



Dry, sandy fields . 



An. June. 



Stems spreading in all directions, much branched, leafy, mostly 

 pale, the outermost trailing at the base only. Ls. opposite, 

 linear, somewhat keeled, acute, not glaucous, nor silvery. FL 

 colour of the herbage, stalkless ; clusters, leafy, terminal. Cal. 

 ten ribbed, stam. from five to eight, imperfect. Vapour of the 

 decoction received into the mouth in tooth-ache. FL Suec. 



( S. perennis. Perennial K. Fruit-calyx with segments 

 blunt, and converging, edge broad, membranous. 

 Stems trailing. E. B. 352. G. E. 567- 



Sandy plains.* Creaton, Northamptonshire. Blorton. 



Per. August to October. 



Hue of the plant glaucous, glistening ; turning reddish with age. 

 Discrim. The bi'oad, white, membranous edges of the calyx. 

 The coccus polonicus, an insect, affording a crimson dye, feeds 

 on this plant. See Upsal Trans. 1742.) 



SAPONA'RIA. Soapwort.3 



S. o^cindlis. Common S, Calyx cylindrical. Leaves 

 ehiptic-spear-shaped. E. B. 1060. C. 2. 29. Sa- 

 ponaria. G. E. 444. 



Meadows, river sides, under hedges. Headington Hill. Marston. 



Stanton Harcourt, Sh. Marston. R. W. 

 Per. August. 

 Stems upright, round, leafy, panicled, about eighteen inches. 



Plant smooth. Ls. opposite, united at the base, three ribbed. 



FL panicle rovmdish. Cor. large, pale-pink, sweet scented. 



Pet. claw four angled. Var.fl. double. 



Juice of the bruised /«., scour almost as well as soap. G. E. 



Used instead of Sarsaparilla. See more on this, in Journal de 



Med. vol. QQ. p. 478. or With. Arrang. and G. E. 



' From its somewhat dry, hard flowers, Gr. skleros, hard. " Germao. 



2 From the leaves forming a lather with water. 



