Spergularia. } XI. CARYOPHYLLACEZ. 75 
‘spicuous. Flowers very variable in size, usually pink, or rarely nearly 
white, on short pedicels, in forked cymes, usually leafy at the base. 
Petals shorter, or rarely rather longer than the sepals. Seeds more or 
less flattened, often surrounded by a narrow, scarious wing or border. 
In sandy or gravelly heaths and waste places, chiefly in maritime 
countries, widely spread over Europe, Russian Asia, North America, 
and Australia. Common in Britain. Fl. all summer. There are two 
marked varieties; one, chiefly occurring inland, has slender leaves, 
small flowers (the sepals 1 to 2 lines long), short capsules, and the seeds 
rarely bordered ; the other, generally growing near the sea, often dis- 
tinguished as 8. Marind, has thicker, somewhat fleshy leaves, larger 
flowers (the sepals 2 to 3 lines long), larger capsules, and the seeds 
usually bordered, but both varieties occur with bordered and with 
unbordered seeds. 
[Most authors distinguish four British species, of which two are 
annuals or biennials. 1. S. rubra, Pers., with linear flat acute leaves, 
short capsules and tubercled seeds with thick margins. 2. S. salina, 
Presl., with semicylindric acuminate leaves, longer capsules, and seeds 
usually smooth, winged or not; and two are perennials, both with 
semicylindric leaves. 3. S. media, Pers., glabrous with long capsules 
and winged seeds. 4. S. rupestris, Lebel, with short capsules and pyri- 
form seeds not winged. All are maritime except S. rudra.] 
XII. SPERGULA. SPURRY. 
Slender herbs, with narrow-linear leaves in opposite clusters, so as 
to appear whorled, and minute, scarious stipules. Sepals 5. Petals 5, 
undivided. Stamens 10, or occasionally 5 orfewer. Styles 5. Capsule 
opening in 5 entire valves. 
A very small European and Asiatic genus, differing from Sagina, as 
Spergularia does from Arenaria, by the presence of scarious stipules. 
1, S. arvensis, Linn. (fig. 172). Corn S.—A slender annual, branch- 
_ ing at the base into several erect or ascending stems, 6 inches to a foot 
high, glabrous or slightly downy. Leaves almost subulate, 1 to 2 inches 
long, growing 6 or 8 together in two opposite clusters, and spreading so 
as to appear whorled. ‘The scarious stipules much smaller than in 
Spergularia, and sometimes obscure. Flowers small, white, on long 
slender pedicels, turned down after flowering in terminal, forked cymes. 
Sepals 14 to 2lineslong. Petals generally shorter. Stamens frequently 
10 or 5 in the same plant. _ Seeds slightly pe with or without a 
narrow, scarious border. 
In cultivated and waste places, all over Hurope, and temperate 
Asia; but in the northern districts, as in many other parts of the 
world, only as a cornfield weed. Common in British cornfields, Fi. 
all summer. 
XIII. POLYCARPON. POLYCARP. 
- Low annuals, with opposite, or apparently whorled, flat leaves, and 
scarious stipules. Sepals 5. Petals 5, very minute. Stamens 8 to 5. 
Styles vety short, with 3 short linear branches. 
