318 On the British Cerastia. 



distinguished from C. pumilum by the same characters, (the mem- 

 branous apex of the sepals excepted,) in addition by the shortness 

 of its petals, its dispersed flowers, and long peduncles. From C. 

 pedtmculatum, with which it agrees in its dispersed flowers and glu- 

 tinous pubescence, it may be distinguished by its difference of ha- 

 bit, much larger and nearly orbicular foliage, shorter internodes, to- 

 tal want of a membranous margin to the bractese, and short capsules. 

 N. B. This species ought to have followed C. tetrandrum, describ- 

 ed in my former paper on the Cerastia, p. 201, Vol. ii. 



Plate IX. Fig. 1, C. atrovirens, natural size; the figure drawn 

 from a dried specimen. Fig. 2, A leaf from a fresh specimen. 

 Fig. 3, The flower. Fig, 4, The capsule and styles from a new 

 blown flower. Fig. 5, The capsule open and full of ripened seeds. 

 Fig. 6, The same, but older. Fig. f J, A seed. Fig. 8, A petal. 

 These figures are all magnified more or less. 



C. Pumilum, Curt. — Leaves ovate-lanceolate, petals about as 

 long as the calyx, sepals lanceolate acute their apex and margins 

 narrowly membranous, bractese herbaceous with a very narrow mem- 

 branous margin, capsule cylindrical slightly curved upwards and 

 longer than the calyx, fruit-bearing peduncles reflexed and scarce- 

 ly longer than the calyx. 



C. pumilum, Curt. FL Lortd. ii. t. 92. Reichen. Fl. excurs. 4969. 



C. semidecandrum, |S. Smith, Eng. FL ii. 331. 



The whole plant covered, in my specimens, with short viscid pu- 

 bescence. Stems prostrate and ascending, branching at the root, 

 but nearly simple afterwards. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, small, the 

 lower ones narrowed into a broad petiole, the others sessile. Flow- 

 ers aggregated into small terminal dichotomous corymbs. Pedun- 

 cles very short, when bearing fruit reflexed, and scarcely exceeding 

 the length of the calyx. Bractese with a very slight membranous 

 margin. Sepals lanceolate-acute, with narrow membranous mar- 

 gins and apices. Petals nearly as long as the calyx. Capsule usual- 

 ly much longer than the calyx, but only slightly so in some few 

 cases, cylindrical and slightly curved upwards, reflexed together 

 with its peduncle. Seeds tuberculated. 



Near Croydon. Mr Dickson. 



Having recently obtained, through the kindness of the Rev. T. 

 Gisborne, some authentic specimens of the C. pumilum of Curtis, 

 which were given to him by Mr Dickson, its original discoverer, I 

 have been able to determine this little known plant. In general 



