Arenaria.] caryophyllace^. 75 



expansion of their substance. Stipules none. Flowers solitary, either in the 

 axils of the upper leaves opposite the short nascent shoots, and hence appearing 

 to he 2 or 3 together, or else in the forks of the upper branches on short much- 

 compressed and furrowed pedicels. Sepals ohlongo-elliptical, obtuse, concave, 

 gibbous at the back, obscurely 3-nerved when viewed with a glass against the 

 light, green, with white entire margins. Petals white, very small, not exceeding 

 the calyx, obovate, entire or occasionally bifid in the same flower, suddenly taper- 

 ing into the long narrow claw. Stamens 10, the alternate ones longer, more 

 spreading, and discharging their pollen earlier than the other five ; anthers nearly 

 white. Alternating with the stamens, and in a line with them, are as many yel- 

 low oblong glands, projecting from a fleshy ring surrounding the conical obtuse 

 germen. Styles 3, short, fleshy and tapering. Capsules large, coriaceous, green- 

 ish yellow, glabrous, much longer than the calyx, depresso - globose, obtusely 

 lobed, furrowed, subconical at the summit and a little pointed, tipped with the 

 styles, 3 — 5 valved. Seeds usually about 6 (sometimes only 2 or 3), rich chest- 

 nut-brown and very shining, ovate and pointed at one end, in shape, size and 

 colour extremely like the pips of apples, finely granulato-punctate. 



XII. Arenaeia, Linn. Sandwort. 



Flowers all perfect. Sepals 5. Petals 5, conspicuous, undi- 

 vided. Stamens 10, or occasionally 5. Styles 3 — 4. Capsule 

 1 -celled, opening with 3 — 5 entire valves (alternating with the 

 sepals when as many) ; or with 6 — 10 valves (or teeth). Seeds 

 many, minute." — Br. Fl. 



* Stipules none. 



1. A. trinervis, L. Three-ribhed Sandwort. "Leaves ovate 

 acute petiolate 3- (rarely 5-) nerved ciliated, flowers solitary, 

 sepals rough on the keel with 3 obscure ribs, hilum of the seeds 

 with an appendage." — Br. Fl. p. 67. E. B. 1. 1483. Moehringia, 

 Clairv. 



In damp woods, groves, and on moist or shady hedgebanis ; abundantly. Fl. 

 April — June. O- 



S. A. serpyllifolia, L. Thyme-leaved Sandivort. " Leaves ovate 

 acute subscabrous sessile, calyx hairy its outer sepals 5-ribbed 

 about as long as the corolla." — Br. Fl. p. 67. E. B. t. 923. 



In dry barren or sandy fields and waste ground, on walls, banks, &c., very 

 common. Fl. June — October. 0. 



Root small, whitish, copiously branched and fibrous. Stems numerous, spread- 

 ing, ascending or procumbent, repeatedly and dichotomously branched from the 

 base, slender, and hoary with copious white hooked and deflexed hairs. Leaves 

 much like those of wild Thyme, \ inch long, grayish green, stiflisb, opposite, ses- 

 sile, very broadly ovate, acute, 5-nerved, occasionally sprinkled with pellucid dots, 

 their eflges spinuloso-ciliate, otherwise glabrous or nearly so. Stipules none. 

 Flowers small, white, solitary, on straight, diverging, hairy peduncles, which are a 

 little longer than the leaves, and springing laterally at the forks of the stem, but 

 not in the axils of either. Sepals lanceolate, very acute, more or less hairy, with 

 white membranous edges that are broader on the 3 inner and 3-ribbed than on 

 the 2 exterior and 5-ribbed ones, (Smith describes the 2 innermost as 3-ribbed 

 only). Petals very small, obovate, quite entire, veiy variable in length, usually 

 much shorter than the calyx, not above J or sometimes i its length. Stamens 

 5—10, those alternating with the sepals placed on a projecting glandular base, 5 

 of them shorter and apparently carrying abortive anthers ; anthers white or pale 



