230 XVIII. CABTOPHYLLE^. (Edgewortt & Hook, f.) [Stellaria. 



Tempeeate Himalaya ; from Nipal to Marri, alt. 4^8000 ft.— Disteib. N. and W. 

 Asia, N. Africa, Europe. 



Perennial. Stem 1-3 ft., .brittle, branched, often trailing oyer bushes. Leaves 

 J-IJ in., membranous, lower shortly petioled, acute, sometimes ciliate. Flowers 4 in. 

 diam., axillary. Sepals lanceolate, enlarged in fruit. Petals with diverging lobes. 

 Capsule 1 in., ovoid, rather exceeding the sepals ; peduncle deflexed, curved at the tip. 

 /Seeds globose, tubercled. 



Sect. III. Stellaria proper. Sepals free to the base. Stamens typo- 

 gynous or subperigynous. Ovary 1-celled ; styles 2-3. Capsule with 4-6 

 entire valves. Seeds numerous, rarely few. 



5. S. media, Linn. ; stem procumbent with a line of hairs, leaves ovate 

 acuminate lower petioled upper sessile, cymes many-flowered, sepals green 

 subacute or obtuse, petals shorter than the glandular sepals or 0, stamens 

 3-10, styles 3, seeds opaque strongly tubercled or echinate. Wall. Gat. 631 ; 

 Wight Ic. t. 947; Boiss. Fl. Orient. L 707. S. monogyna, Don Frodr. 215. 

 Alsinella WaUichiana, Benih. in Wall. Cat. 630. 



Throughout the Panjab, and temperate regions of India, ascending in the HiMALATii 

 to 12,000 ft., and in Western Tibet to 14,500 ft. Ceylon ; Newera Ellia, probably 

 introduced.— DiSTBiB. All Arctic and N. temperate regions, a doubtful native elsewhere. 



A very common and most variable weed. Stems 6 in. 2 ft. , generally much branched, 

 flaccid, green. Leaves 4-1 in., lower long-petioled, ovate or cordate, upper sessile, 

 elliptic or lanceolate. Flowers axillary and in terminal cymes, ^-J in. diam.; pedicels 

 slender, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Sepals obtuse or subacute, hairy glandular or 

 covered with raised points. Capsule ovoid, longer than the sepals. Seeds brown, 

 acutely tubercled.— .F/ojcers 4-merous and apelalous in Alpine Sikkim specimens. 



6. Sp slkklmensis, Hook.f.; decumbent, stems shining below, much 

 branched laxly pubescent or villous with spreading hairs, leaves small sessile 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate rarely cordate, cymes terminal many-tiowered, 

 sepals lanceolate acuminate pilose much, exceeding the 2-partite petals, 

 stamens 10, styles 3, capsule not exceeding tlje sepals. 



SiKKiM Himalaya; common, alt. 6-9000 (t, Herh. Griffith, J. D. S. 



Often forming matted tufts, clothed with flaccid brown spreading hairs. Leaves 

 j-§ in., spreaxling recurved or reflexed, acute, very shortly-petioled, opaque, hairy on 

 both surfaces and ciliate. Flowers J in. diam. ; pedicels rather longer than the sepals, 

 spreading, decurved in fruit. Sepals with broad scarious margins. Capsule elongate 

 ovoid, rather longer than the sepals ; valves 5, entire. Seeds many, minute, opaque, 

 scarcely tubercled. — Subalpine specimens have more coriaceous deflexed leaves, with 

 stronglyjecurved margins. Nearly allied to S. saxatilis, but less perigynous, mure 

 laxly hairy, and cymes much shorter peduncled and terminal 



7. S. semivestita, Edgew. ; more or less woolly, stem elongate stout 

 decumbent much branched leafy, leaves spreading and recurved subulate, 

 peduncles axillary much exceeding the leaves, sepals lanceolate acuminate 

 with broad scarious margins shorter than the petals, stamens 10, styles 3. 



Western Temperate Himalaya; Kumaon, alt. fr-8000 ft.; Lohoo-ghat and 

 Dadooka Taola, T. Thomson; Chaur, Stracli. & Wint. 



Forming large compact or l.ix tufts. Stems 6-18 in., terete below; branches ascend- 

 ing, crowded, very leafy, white with woolly hairs. Leaves 4-| in., gradually recurved 

 from a broad base, 1-nerved, woolly on both surfaces or glabrate. Flowers 4 in. diam.; 

 peduncles 1 in., very woolly. Sepals J in., very acuminate, bacjc striate, tomentose. 

 Fetals 2-partite, rather broad. Fruit unknown. 



8. S. Webblana, Wall. Cat. 642 (Leucostemma) ; glabrous, stem slender 

 decumbent branched leafy, leaves spreading linear or acicular, pedicels 



