Arenaria f rinervia. Plantain-leaved 



Chickweed. 



ARENARIA Lin. Gen. PL Decandria Trigynia. 



Cal. 5-phyllus, patens. Petala 5, integra. Cap/. 1 locularis, polyfperma. 



Rati Syn. Gen. 24. Herb,e pentapetalje vasculifer;e. 



ARENARIA trinervia fbliis ovatis acutis petiolatis nervofis. Lin. Syji. Vegetab. p. 353, Sp. Pi. p. 605. 

 Fl. Suec. n. 397. 



ALSINE foliis ovato-lanceolatis, trinerviis. Haller. Hifl. 11. 878. 



ALSINE Plant aginis folio. 1. B. III. 364. Raii Syn. p. 349. Plantain-leaved Chickweed. Hudfion FL 

 Angl. ed. 2. p. 191. Lightjoot Fl. Scot. p. 230. Oeder FL Dan. t. 429. 



RADIX annua, tenuiffima, fibrofa, albida. | ROOT annual, very {lender, fibrous, and whitifh. 



CAULES plures, fpithamaei, pedales, et ultra, debiles, | STALKS feveral, a Ipan, a foot or more in length, weak, 



teretes, undique pubefcentes, geniculati, ramo- * downy, all round jointed, and very much 



fimmi. I branched. 



FOLIA oppofita, ovata, acuta, pallide viridia, trinervia, f LEAVES oppofite, ovate, pointed, of a pale green co- 



integerrima, margine nervifque minutim cilia- 1 lour, three-rib'd, entire, the edge and ribs 



tis, fupremis feffilibus, inferioribus petiolatis, f finely fringed with hairs, the uppermoft feffile, 



crebnoribus, minoribus. | the lowermoft {landing on foot-ftalks, more 



J numerous and fmaller. 



PETIOLI fubalati, marginibus pilofis. | LEAF-STALKS fomewhat winged, the edges hairy. 



FLORES alterni, folitarn, e dichotomia caulis. | FLOWERS alternate, folitary, proceeding from the 



? forking of the ftalk. 



PEDUNCULI teretes, pubefcentes, primo ere&i, de- | FLOWER-STALKS round, downy, at firft erect, finally 



mumhonzontaliterextenfi, apice fubinflexo, et? horizontally extended, the tip fomewhat bent 



_ rv P aulu l u m incraffato. | in, and a little thickened. 



CALYX: Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliis ovato- $ CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 



acuminata, carinatis, pubefcentibus, corolla | ovate, running out to a point, keeled, downy 



T l0ngl ° nbuS * fig ' 1 ' * lon S er than the cor °l la - fig- r - 



COROLLA: Petala qumque, parva, alba, obovata,| COROLLA : five Petals, fmall, white, inverfely 



c^AMmf^ 3 ' fi g- 2. I ovate and entire, fig. 2. 



bTAMINA: Filamenta decern, longitudine corollas, % STAMINA : ten Filaments, the length of the co- 

 alba, fihformia. Anthers m-inutae, flavse | rolla, white, filiform. Anthers very fmall, 

 fig' 3' % and yellow, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum. Styli tres, longi- |PISTILLUM : Germen ovate. Styles three, the 

 tudine germinis. Stigmata obtufrufcula. f length of the germen. Stigmata bluntifh. 



fig' 4- % fig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM: Capfula fubconica, tefta, unilocu- 1 SEED-VESSEL : a Capfiule of a fhape fomewhat conic, 



CP ,. mA , * . , , • .' . , . A „ I covered by the calyx, and having one cavity. 



bLMINA plunma, fubremformia, planmfcula, glaber- 1 SEEDS numerous, fomewhat kidney-ihaped, flattifli. 

 rma, nigra. % very f moo th, and black. 



There exifts a confiderable fimilarity betwixt the prefent plant and the common Chickweed ; the attentive 

 obferver will, however, find them to differ very materially. 



As a principal part of the profefled defign of this work is to remove, as much as poffible, every difficulty 

 attending an investigation of the Bntifh plants, we mall point out thofe differences which have appeared to us the 

 moft ftnking in comparing the two together. The common Chickweed, as its name imports, is found almoft 

 every where, as well in expofed as in fhady fituations ; this, on the contrary, is found with us only in woods, and 

 on the fhady banks furrounding them, and, compared with the other, may be confidered rather as a fcarce plant. 

 The common Chickweed flowers in March and April ; this produces its bloffoms in May and June. The common 

 ChiCKweed has a row of hairs running down each fide of the ftalk; this is uniformly covered with very fhort hairs, 

 icarcely difcernible. The former has a procumbent ftalk ; this grows erect. In the former the leaves are not 

 diihnguimed by any veins or ribs ; this, on the contrary, has three ftrong ones, which give them fomewhat the 

 appearance of thofe of Plantain, whence its name. In the former the petals are bifid ; in this they are entire. 

 The feeds aifo afford another very ftnking difference : in the common Chickweed they are brown and rough ; while 

 thofe of the trinervia are black, perfectly fmooth, and mining. 



We know of no particular ufe to which this diminutive plant is applicable. 



