276 DECANDRIA TBIGYNIA 



•urely, I think, very distinct from the preceding. Two or throo additional specif! 

 hare boon enumerated in the U. States ; and fivo or six in British America. 



220. ARENARIA. L. JVutt. Gen. 414. 

 [Latin, Arena, sand ; the plants generally growing in a sandy soil.] 



Cafyx5-sepalled. Petals 5, entire. Ovary superior. Capsule 1 -celled, 

 mostly 6-valved at apex, many-seeded. 



Herbaceous: stems nodose; leaves opposite, sometimes stipular; flowers axillary 

 or terminal, often paniculate. A'of. Ord. 140. Lindl. Caryophyllbjb. 



Leaves -without stipules, 



1. A. stricta, Mx. Stems numerous, mostly erect, simple, smooth ; 

 leaves subulate-linear, spreading, with fascicles of erect linear leaves in 

 the axils; panicle trichotomous, spreading; petals twice as long as the 

 acute 3-ribbed smooth sepals. Beck, Bot. p. 52. Icon, Hook. Jim. 

 \. tab. 33. 



UmiGHT AnEXARIA. 



Root perennial. Stems 4 to 8 or 10 inches high, cespitosc, or crowing in thick 

 bunches, erect, or sometimes decumbent, terete, slender, with short internodes, 

 often dark purple, simple below, paniculaiely and trichotomously branched at 

 summit. Leaves half an inch to 3 quarters in length, very narrow, acute, sessile, 

 rather rigid, smoothish, with a prominent midrib,— the axils producing sessile or 

 subsessile fascicles of shorter erect and rather filiform-subulate leaves. Panicle 

 terminal ; branches and pedicels filiform, with lanceolate or subulate bracts at 

 base. Sepals lance-ovate, very acute, or acuminate, smooth, conspicuously 3- 

 norved, margins scarious. Petals white, obovate-oblong, full twice the length of 

 the calyx. Stamens longer than the calyx, but shorter than the petals. Styles 

 rather shorter than the stamens. Capsule ovoid, about as Ion? as the calyx. 

 Seeds compressed, orbicular-reniform, rugosely scabrous, dark purple. 

 Uab. Serpentine rock, West-Chester: not common. Fl. May— Aug. Fr. June, Sept. 



Obs. This species abounds on our sterile Serpentine rock; but I have novcr 

 met with it elsewhere. 



2. A. serpyllifolia, L. Stems mostly procumbent, dichotomous, 

 diffuse, retrorscly roughish-pubescent ; leaves ovate, acute, subciliate ; 

 peduncles solitary ; petals shorter than the acute 3 to 5-nened scabrous 

 sepals. Beck, Bot. p. 62. 



Thyme-leaved Arewaria. Vulgo — Sand-wort. 



Gallice. — La Sablonierc. Germ. — Das Sandkraut. Ilisp.— -Arenaria. 



Root annual. Stems 3 to 6 or 8 inches long, often numerous from the root, nearly 

 procumbent, spreading, dichotomously branched, slender, rough with a very short 

 retrorse pubescence. Leaves 2 to 3 lines long, ovate, rather acuminate, nerved, 

 scabrous, ciliate, sessile. Peduncles 1 third to half an inch long, axillary and ter- 

 minal. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 5-ribbed, scabrous-ciliatc on the 

 ribs, the outer ones broader. Petals white, oval, mostly shorter than the sepals, 

 and often scarcely half as long. Stamens rather shorter than the petals. Capsule 

 ovoid, finally longer than the calyx, tapering at apex, and, when the f> teeth ox- 

 pand, appearing somewhat urceolatc. Seeds minute, cochleate-reniform, striately 

 muricatc, reddish brown. 

 Bab. Dry, sandy banks; fields, &c. frequent. FL May— July. Fr. Juno— August. 



Qb* . This is probably an introduced specie*,— now extensively naturalised 



