68 THE PINK FAMILY. 
and Russian Asia and in North America. Much less frequent in Britain, 
and chiefly in Scotland, northern England, Wales, Cornwall, and Ireland. 
Fl. spring and summer. An Arctic variety, extending to some of the high- 
est mountains of Scotland, has been distinguished under the name of A. 
sulcata, Schlecht. (hirta, Wormsk., rubella, Hook.). It is more stunted, 
with shorter and rather broader leaves, few flowers, smaller and narrower 
petals, and sometimes 4 or even 5 styles and capsular valves. [Another 
variety, A. Gerardi, Wahlb., occurs in Cornwall; it has less pointed leaves, 
the lower of which are appressed. 
3. A. uliginosa, Schleich. (fig. 152). Bog S.—Perennial tufts like 
those of A. verna, but the subulate leaves are rather thicker, almost 
succulent, the stems longer, with very few distant pairs of leaves, the 
pedicels much longer, often an inch or even more, and always glabrous, 
_ the sepals broader. Petals about the length of the calyx. Capsule 3- 
valved. Alsine stricta, Wahl. 
In bogs or mountain marshes, in Arctic and northern Europe and Asia, 
and in some mountainous parts of central Kurope, but never common, 
In Britain, only known on Widdybank Fell, in Durham. Fl. summer. 
4. A. tenuifolia, Linn. (fig. 153). Fine-leaved S.—A very slender, 
erect, much branched annual, glabrous or very minutely downy or elan- 
dular above, 3 or 4 inches high, Leaves finely subulate. Pedicels very 
slender, usually about halfaninchlong. Sepals narrow-lanceolate, finely 
pointed. Petals obovate or oblong, usually scarcely half the length of 
_the sepals. Capsule opening in 3 valves. Alsine tenuifolta, Crantz. 
On old walls, stony wastes, or sandy fields, in central and southern 
Europe, from southern Sweden tothe Caucasus. In Britain, apparently 
confined to some of the eastern counties of England. Fl. summer. 
5. A. peploides, Linn. (fig. 154). Sea Purslane.—Rootstock creeping, 
with short, procumbent, usually forked flower-stems. Leaves numerous, 
thick and somewhat fleshy, ovate or elliptical, half an inch long or more, 
the upper ones smaller and broader. Flowers few, on short pedicels, 
in small, leafy, terminal cymes, usually more or less unisexual. Sepals 
thickish, about 24 lines long. Petals scarcely longer. Capsule large, 
nearly globular, opening in 3 (or sometimes 4 or 5) broad valves, with 
fewer and larger seeds than in the other Arenarice. Honckenya peploides, 
Ehbrh. 
In maritime sands, in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and America, 
extending down western Europe to Portugal. Rather common all round 
Britain. Fl. summer, rather early. 
6. A. serpyllifolia, Linn. (fig. 155). Zhyme-leaved S.—A very much 
branched, slender, and slightly downy annual, seldom attaining 6 inches. 
Leaves very small, ovate and pointed. Pedicels from the upper axils or 
forks of the stem, 2 or 3 lines long, and slender. Sepals pointed, about 
14 lines long. Petals usually much shorter, but variable in size, obovate. 
Capsule opening in 6 narrow valves. 
On walls and dry sands, or stony, waste places, throughout Kurope and 
central and Russian Asia, ‘except the extreme north. Common in Britain, 
but moreso inthe souththaninthenorth. Fl. summer. [A very variable 
plant, of which there are three British forms. 
a. A. serpyllifolia proper. Rigid, sepals ovate-lanceolate, capsule 
ovoid, pedicel ascending. 
b, A. glutenosa, Koch. Shorter, stouter, more glandular. 
