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66 | THE PINK FAMILY. | 
subulate, joined at the base in a short, broad, scarious sheath, theradical 
ones longer, and often tufted. Flowers very small, on capillary pedicels 
much longer than the leaves. Sepals about aline long,and obtuse. Petals 
much shorter, often wanting. Valves of the capsule as long as, or. rather 
longer than, the sepals. All parts are usually in fours, but often fives. 
Ina ereat variety of situations, but especially in waste or stony places, _ 
wet or dry heaths, sandy marshes, &c., throughout Europe, in Russian 
and central Asia, North America, "Australia, &c. Abundant in Britain. 
Fl. from spring till autumn, It varies considerably, and has been divided- 
into many supposed species. Small, slender, but little branched 
specimens, with the petals very minute or wanting, constitute the S. 
apetala, Linn.; in the S. ciliata, Fries., the branches are more diffuse, 
elandular-pubescent, and the sepals appressed to the capsule. A sea- 
coast variety, S. marituma, Don., presents the usual maritime differences 
of firmer and thicker stems and leaves, is glabrous, and has broad obtuse ~ 
sepals, suberect in fruit. 
2, S. Linneel, Presl. (fig. 148). Alpine P.—Very near S. procumbens, 
but it forms an undoubtedly perennial stock (although often flowering 
the first year so as to appear annual), the radical leaves are rather 
longer, the petals are more conspicuous, usually nearly as long as but 
not longer than the sepals, and there are almost always 5 sepals, 5 
petals, 10 stamens, and 5 styles and valves of the capsule. 
In mountain pastures, and stony places, in Arctic and northern 
Kurope, Asia, and America, and in most mountain districts of central 
and southern Europe to the Caucasus, descending occasionally to the 
sea-coast in western Europe, when it is very difficult to distinguish it ~— 
from S. procumbens. In Britain, in the Scotch Highlands, in the west 
and south of England, and in Ireland. Fl. summer. [There are three 
very distinct forms included here— | 
a. S. Linnei proper (S. saxatilis, Wimm. ; Spergula saginoides, Sm.), 
prostrate, branches rooting, pedicels curved, erect in fruit. 
b. S. nivalis; Fries: Densely tufted, leaves broader, pedicels always 
erect, and petals shorter. Confined to some of the loftiest Scotch 
mountains. 
c. S. subulata, Wimm. (Spergula subulata, Swartz). Tufted, more or 
less pubescent and glandular, leaves narrowed to the awned tip, petals 
not longer than the sepals. Common.] - 
3. S. nodosa, Fenzl. (fig. 149). Anotted P.—Like the last, this forms 
little perennial tufts, but as it often flowers the first year, it then appears 
annual, Stems numerous, decumbent, or nearly erect, 2 to 3 or rarely 
4 inches high, and not much branched. Lower leaves like those of S. 
Linnet, or rather longer, but the stem leaves are much shorter, with 
little clusters of minute ones in their axils. Flowers few on each stem, . 
on pedicels from 3 to 6 lines long, and more conspicuous than in 
the other species, the white obovate petals being twice as long asthe 
calyx. Sepals obtuse, a line long, the parts of the flower usually in 
fives, with 10 stamens. 
In wet, sandy places, marshes and bogs, in northern and central Europe, 
Asia, and America. Generally distributed over Britain. 1. summer. 
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