Spergutaria.] VI. CAEYOPHYLLEAE. 63 



* S. pentandra, L., Sp. PL 440. Of similar habit and appearance to S. arven- 

 sis. Seeds black, lenticular, surrounded by a white membranous wing, slightly scabrid 

 or papillose. 



Naturalised near Wellington, T. K. Europe. 



4. SPERGULARIA, Persoon. 

 Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire, rarely 0. Stamens 5—10, rarely fewer, hypo- 

 gynous. Styles 3. Capsule 3- rarely 5-valved. Prostrate or suberect spread- 

 ing herbs, with linear leaves often clustered in the axils, presenting a verticillate 

 appearance. Flowers pedicellate. Seeds compressed, with or without a mem- 

 branous border. 



* S. rubra, J. and C. Presl., Fl. Cech. 94. Annual or perennial. Stems 

 prostrate, much branched, glandular above, more or less pubescent, Sin.-lOin. long. 

 Leaves linear, flat, obtuse or apiculate. Stipules lanceolate, cleft or lacerate. 

 Flowers on slender glandular pedicels, equalling or exceeding the leaves, axillary, 

 solitary or forming lax elongated cymes. Sepals 5, lanceolate, obtuse, glandular. 

 Petals 5, about as long as the sepals, purple. Stamens 5-10 ; if the larger number, 

 2 or more imperfect. Fruiting peduncles spreading or reflexed. Styles 3. Capsule 

 3-valved, as long as the sepals. Seeds plano-convex, gibbous, muricatulate or 

 tubercled. Owing to the development of leaf-buds in the axils the leaves often 

 appear verticillate. 



NORTH and SOUTH Islands : naturalised by roadsides, waste places, &o. Sand-spurrey. 

 Nov. to Feb. Europe. 



1. S. media, Presl., Fl. Sic. p. xvii. Usually a larger plant than S. 



rubra, with longer half-terete leaves. Stems suberect or prostrate, compressed. 



Stipules broadly ovate, acuminate. Flowers larger, whiter. Pedicels longer. 



Capsule much longer than the calyx. Seeds compressed, rounded, smooth or 



papillose, with or without a scarious margin. — Spergularia rubra var. marina. 



Hook, f ., Handbk. 25 ; A. Cunn., Precurs. n. 619. Arenaria media, L., Sp. 



PI. 606; Hook, f., Fl. N.Z. i. 26. A. marina, Sm. E. B. t. 958. Buda 



marina, Dum., Fl. Belg. 110. 



NORTH Island; SOUTH Island; STEWART Island: a variable plant, common all round 

 the coasts. 



Var. salina. Pedicels equalling the foliaoeous bracts. Seeds smooth. Dog Island, Foveaux 

 Strait, T. K. 



A common littoral plant in many temperate and subtropical countries. 



•POLYCARPON, Linn. 



Sepals 5, keeled, hooded at the apex. Petals 5, small, emarginate. Stamens 

 3-5. Style short, 3-fid. Capsule 3-valved, many-seeded. Annual herbs, with oppo- 

 site or apparently whorled leaves, scarious stipules, and small flowers crowded in 

 bracteate cymes. 



* P. tetraphyllum, L,, Syst. ed. x. 881. Stems much branched, lin.-4in. 

 high. Leaves opposite or in fours, broadly obovate ; petioles short, broad. Flowers 

 triandrous with a 3-fid style, or rarely pentandrous with the style entire. Capsule 

 shorter than the calyx. 



NORTH and SOUTH Island ; STEWART Island : abundantly naturalised in dry places. 

 Allseed. Sept. to June. Europe. 



