Sagina erecta Upright Pearlwort. 



SAGINA Linnai Gen. PL Tetrandria TetragyniA. 



Cal. 4-phyllus. Peiala 4. Caps. 1 locularis, 4 valvis, polyfperma. 



Raii$yn. Gen. 24. Herb^: pentapetal^ vasculiferje. 



SAGINA ereSta caule ereclo fubunifloro. Linn. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 142. Sp. PL p. i8c 4 



ALSTNELLA foliis caryophylleis. Cat. Gifis. 47. 



SAGINA fcapis unifloris. Guett. Stamp, p. 276. Dalib. Paris, p. 5 6. 



ALSINE verna glabra. Magn. Monfp. 14. Vaill. Paris. 6. t. ^ fig, 2 . R a ii Sym fig, 4. /. 15. p. 3Ui 

 the leaft Stich-wort. 



Hudfon. FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 73. 

 Lightfoot. F/. Scot. p. 125. 



RADIX annua, fimplex, fibrofa. | ROOT annual, Ample, and fibrous. 



■r 



CAULES plerumqueplures,/upraterrame X panfi, af- f STALKS for the moft part feveral, expanded on the 



C r2eT S ' 1 ^' tnU ™f S ? ter * es l P k Ur f l T I e ^th, and afterwards rifing upright, from two 



rafcentes, Ws, geniculate, uniflon, biflon | to three inches high, round, purplifh, fmooth, 



aut etiam tnflon. | jointed) fupportin | from on / to ^ flowerg ; 



FOLIA glauca inferiora linearia, feffilia, rigida, linea f LEAVES glaucous ; the lower ones linear, feffile, ri- 



reZv^, ma iV eXarata ' ? ""^*' fepe I gld ' S r ° 0Ved; th ^eonthe ftalk uniting at 



recuivata, latiora, magifque acuminata. their bafe, often bent back, broader, and more 



^ „ ■ t pointed. 



CALYX: Peri anthium tptraphyllum, perfiftens, fo- J CALYX: a Perianthium of four leaves, permanent, 



holla ovato acuminata, eredis, p erumque f the leaves oval and pointed, upright, P-eneral- 



claufis margme membranaceis albidis, W | iy dofed, membranous' and whitiih on the 



bus, ghucis, fig. 1. I edges? fmooth and laucouSt 



COROLLA: Petala quatuor calyce breviora alba, | COROLLA: four Petals (hotter than the calyx, 

 oblonga, obtufa, fubftnata, a pl ce mdmfa, f white , obIong> obtufc> &mewha t ^J^ 



jig. 2, auct. I and un( ) lv ided at top, fig. 2. magnified. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, intra petala loca- I STAMINA: fonr F.laments plaeed between the pe- 

 ta petahs paulo brev.ora fetacea : Anther* J ta l s> and , l Me fhorter than the petals, feta- 



fubrotund*. didymae, flavefcentes, fig. 3, 4. f ce0 us: Anther* roimdifh, double, ofayel- 



I lowifh colour, fig. 3, 4. 



PISTILLUM: GERMENovatum: Stylus breviffimus, f PISTILLUM : Germen oval: Style very mort the 

 lorigitudme ftaminum : Stigmata quatuor, | length of the ftamina : Stigmata four,' vil- 



villofa, reflexa,/^. 5, 6. | lous? and turning back, j%. 5, 6. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula oblongoovata, membra- J PERICARPIUM : an oblong, oval, membranous Cap- 

 nacea,unilocularis,univalvis calyce paulo Ion- | sule, of one cavity and one valve, a little 



«or, ore plerumque decemdentato, fig. 7, 9 , | i onger than the cal the mouth ' . 



fig ' 8 ' aud - I nerally with ten teeth, fig. 7, 9 . fig.S, AL. 



SEMINA plurima, e fufco aurantiaca ; fubreniformia, | SEEDS numerous, of an orange brown colour fome- 

 Icabra, fig. 10, 11. J what kidney-maped, and rough on the furface, 



¥ fig. 10, 11. 



t IN treating of this little plant, we have been rather at at lofs whether to confider it as a new genus, or arrange 

 it with the Sagina of Linnaeus : for though it agrees with the Sagina in feme of its moft ftrikin| characters, mcli 

 as having a Calyx and Corolla each confuting of four leaves, together with four Stamina and Piftiila, yet in its feed- 

 venels which probably Linn^us might not have feen in a perfect, ftate, it greatly refembles a Cerajiium ; while 

 the whole plant, in its habit and glaucous appearance, approaches nearly to the Stellaria Holoflea. As there are 

 but few genera however, whofe fpecies do not vary confiderably in the parts of frudification, we have thought it 

 molt eligible to continue it a Sagina ; efpecially as it retains thole characters, which obvioufly diftinP-iuih it from 

 any of the Decandrous plants. ' & 



We meet with it abundantly on moft of the Heaths about London, particularlv on Black-heath. It flowers in 

 April, and ripens its feed in May. The calyx never opens far, fo that the blonoms are not iufrered fullv to 

 expand. J 



If the feafon prove dry, as hath been moft unufually the cafe this year, 1 779, the ftalk is generally fimple • but 

 if the ground be moift, it throws out many ftalks, which firft fpread on the earth, and afterwards become uprioht 

 as is reprefented in the middle figure, r x W xl > 



