234 XVIII. CARYOPHYLLE^. (Ed^eworth & Hook, f.) [Stellaria. 



flowers solitary, pedicels capillary deflexed in fruit, flowers very small, sepals 

 ovate-lanceolate acute, petals 0, stamens 5, styles 3, capsule cylindric twice 

 as long as the sepals. 



Interior of the Sikkim Himalaya, alt. 12-16,000 ft., /. D. H. W^esteen Tibet ; 

 Nubra, alt. 11-15,000 ft., T. Thomson. 



Stems 6 in. high in Nubra specimenB very slender simple, stouter shorter and more 

 tufted in the Sikkim ones. Leaves J-4 in., with thickened margin and tip, not mucro- 

 nate. Flowers J in. diam.. ; pedicels |-1 in. ; bracts scarious. Calyx base obscure ; 

 sepals ereen, strongly S-ne^ved, with broad scarious margins. FilameiUs slender. 

 Styles short. Capsule J in. long, straight, 5-valved. Seeds pale brown, distinctly 

 granulate. — Very near the Baikal S. umbeUata, Turcz. (Led. Flor. Ross. i. 394), but 

 the bracts are not numerous and crowded, and the seeds are not perfectly smooth, but 

 strongly granulate. 



19. S. depauperata, Edgew. ; quite glabrous, steins slender flexuous 

 red-brown, leaves spreading and recurved sessile oblong-lanceolate acute, 

 pedicels few axillary and terminal elongate curved wiry, flowers small, 

 calyx with a broad turbinate base, sepals lanceolate acute petals 0, styles 3 

 very short, capsule 6-valved, seeds few. 



Alpihe Sikkim Himalaya ; Yeumtong in gravelly places, alt. 15,000 ft., /. D. H. 



A very singular little species, of which there are but few specimens, all gathered in 

 one spot. Stems 3-4 in., wiry, flexuous, 4-angled,'dark red brown. Leaves few, J- Jin., 

 in distant pairs. Pedicels i-1 in. long, wiry, flexuous. Calyx base large and brnad; 

 sepals J in., dark green with broad scarious edges. PUaments linear. Chary short, 

 OToid; styles 3, very short. Capsule shorter than the sepals. — The structure of the 

 flower approaches that of Sect. Aderwnema. ^ 



Sect. V. Adenonema, Bunge. Sepals connate at the broad base. 

 Petals minute or 0, rarely equalling the sepals. Stamens 8-10, perigynous ; 

 filaments dilated at the base. Disk glandular. Ovary 1-ceU.ed ; styles 3. 

 Capsule 3-5-valved. Se:eds 1 or few or many. — Densely tufted Alpine 

 herbs. 



20. S. decumbens, Edgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc, xx. 36 ; laxly or 

 densely tufted, usually very shining, stems stout or slender and pemcels 

 densely pubescent or villous, branches sparse or closely imbricate often 

 fascicled in axillary globose tufts, ovate or oblong or lanceolate-subulate 

 acicular-pointed (rarely acute or obtuse) 1-nerved, margins thickened gla- 

 brous or ciliate, flowers soKtary or cyraose, sepals 4r-5 oblong-lanceolate, 

 petals usually very short 2-partite narrow, capsule shorter than the sepals^ 

 seeds 2-8 opaque nearly smooth suborbicular. 



Alpine and Subalpine Himalaya, in rooky and gravelly places, alt. 11-15,000 ft. 

 (18,000 ft. in Sikkim). 



A very common and variable Alpine Himalayan plant, allied to S. pelroen, Bunge, 

 but at once distinguished by its shorter shining less rigid leaves, and denser pubes- 

 cence. — We are quite unable to distinguish the following varieties specifically, though 

 var. 4 is less connected by intermediates than the others, and may be different. 

 «. Flowers solitary. 



Vak. 1 ; -tufts large lax shining 6-18 in. broad, leaves J in. usually imbricate 

 often in axillary tufts usually ovate-subulate, sepals 5, petals minute. — S. petrsea, 

 Herh. Ind. Or. S.f. & T. {not of Bunge). — Sikkim and Kunawar. ' 



Vae. 2. Ed geworthii ; iuits lax sl^ining, stems slender, leaves sparse slender spread- 

 ing I in. subulate-lanceolate, petals minute. — S. decumbens, Edgew. l.c. — Kumaon. 



VAE. 3. minor; stems slender 2-4 in., leaves shining or not J in. ovate- or lanceolate- 

 subulate often in axillary fascicles, sepals 4, petals minute. — Sikkim. 



Vae. 4. Stracheyi; stems slender 2-4 in., leaves J in. not shining ovate-subulate,. 



