72 cAEYOPHYLLACEiE. [Cerastium. 



fruit, the apex a little enlarged and nodding. Calyx cleft nearly to the bottom, 

 hairy externally; sepaZs ovate-lanceolate, mostly unequal in hreadth, 3- or 5-rib- 

 bed, slightly keeled, with concave, somewhat incurved, bluiitish tips and more or 

 less narrowly membranous white margins. Petals a little longer than the calyx, 

 pure white, very profoundly cleft into 2 narrow, oblong, obovate, entire, strongly 

 and prominently nerved segments, the sinus between them obtuse at the top of 

 the small, green, fleshy, abrupt claw. Capsule ovate-conical (sometimes described 

 as round), 4 or 5 lines in length, nodding, very thin and membranous, as long as 

 or mostly rather longer than the closely applied calyx, shining and glabrous, 

 bluntly pentagonal, opening at the summit by 5 broad, erect, often bifid, obtuse 

 teeth. Seeds numerous, reddish brown, rotuntiato-reniform, rough with close rows 

 of papillae with stellate or radiating bases. 



X. Cerastium, Linn. Mouse-ear Cliickweed. 



" Calyx of 5 sepals. Petals 5, cloven. Stamens 10. Styles 5. 

 Capsule bursting at the top with ten equal teeth." — Br. Fl. 



1. C glome rat ami, Thuill. Broad-leaved Mouse- ear Cliickweed. 

 " Hairy nearly erect viscid above, leaves ovate, bracteas herba- 

 ceous, petals as long as the calyx about half the length of the 

 curved capsule, flowers mostly subcapitate, catyces oblong longer 

 than their pedicels." — C. vulgatum, L. Br. Fl. p. 70. JE. B. t. 

 789. 



In fields, pastures, waste and cultivated places, on walls, dry banks, and by 

 roadsides ; common. jF/. April — September. 0. 



8. C. trivlale, Link. Narrow- leaved Mouse-ear Cliickweed. 

 " Leaves oblong-lanceolate, stem hairy viscid spreading, lower 

 bracteas herbaceous upper ones with narrow membranous margins, 

 flowers atfirst almost fascicled afterwards in elongated dichotomous 

 cymes, calyx about as long as the jiedicel and corolla about half 

 the length of the curved fruit." — C. viscosum, L. Br. Fl. p. 70. 

 E. B. t. 790. 



In exactly similar situations with the last, and equally common. Fl. Spring 

 and summer. !(.. ? or rather 0. 



I very seldom perceive any membranous border to the bracteas of C. triviale in 

 this neighbourhood (Ryde) ; the character therefore not being constant ought not 

 to enter into the specific description. 



3. C semidecandrum,Tj. Little Mouse-ear Cliickweed. "Leaves 

 ovate or oblong, stem hairy viscid suberect simple bearing a few- 

 flowered cyme, upper half of all the bracts and the sepals mem- 

 branous, calyx scarcely shorter than the pedicel about twice as 

 long as the petals shorter than the fruit." — Br. Fl. p. 71. E. B. 

 t. 1630. 



(3., Sm. Flowers larger, less numerous and scarcely panicled ; petals distinctly 

 bifid, but not deeply cleft, not a great deal shorter than the taper-pointed sepals. 

 C. pumilum, Curt, -F/. io?i(/. ii. fasc. 6, t. 3:1 C. glutinosum, Fries!' Nov. FL 

 Svec. ed. alt. p. 132. Reichh. Icnnogr. Sot. ii. tab. 181, fig. 315 and 316 ? 



y. Flowers smaller (at least in bloom) or conglomerate ; petals notched or jag- 

 ged, scarcely torn, much shorter than the very long acute and membranous sepals. 

 Bracts scariose, shining and membranous at the margins. F. B. xxiii. t. 1630 ? 

 Leight. Shrnp. Fl. p. 198. 



