152 THE GENOTHERA FAMILY. [Hpilobbum, 
buds erect, the petals deeply notched. Stigma entire and club-shaped. 
Pod often very long. 
In wet ditches and watery places, throughout Europe, Russian Asia, 
and a portion of North America, and extending to the Arctic Circle, 
and very nearly allied to a common Australian species. Common in 
Britain. Fl. swmmer. [The following forms are more or less well 
marked— : 
a. £. tetragonum proper. Scions formed in autumn and bearing rosu- 
late leaves, leaves narrow shining above, capsule 2 to 4 inches long. 
b. £. obscur um, Schreb. (£. virgatum, Gren. and Godr.). Scions very 
slender, formed in summer with few opposite leaves, leaves broader, — 
opaque above, capsule 1 to 2 inches long. 
c. £. Lamyi, Wirtg. Scions as in a, but stem-leaves narrowed into ~ 
short petioles. ] : 
7. E. palustre, Linn. (fig. 348). A/arsh #.—Very near £. alpinum, 
and by some believed to be a lowland form of it. It has the same 
slender scions, entire or not much toothed leaves, short terminal 
racemes, small flowers, nodding buds, and club-shaped, undivided 
stigma; but its stature is taller, often a foot or even 2 in height, 
and the leaves are longer and much narrower, often linear. It some- 
times also comes very near the narrow-leaved forms of F. voseum and £. 
tetragonum, but has the buds much more nodding, and the decurrent 
lines on the stem are either very faint or entirely wanting. 
In wet, boggy places, and ditches, throughout Europe and Russian 
Asia, but more especially in the north, extending into the Arctic regions. 
Generally distributed over Britain, but not very common. Fl. summer. 
8. E. alsinefolium, Vill. (fig. 349). Chickweed H.—Closely allied to, 
and perhaps a mere variety of, #. alpinum, but much more luxuriant, 
_and frequently branched, though seldom more than 6 inches high. 
Leaves very shortly stalked, ovate, and toothed, and an inch long or 
more, like those of £. montanum, but of a thicker consistence. Flowers 
larger than those of £. alpinum, forming very short, leafy racemes. 
Buds nodding, and stigma club-shaped, as in £. alpinum. The autumnal 
scions are more frequently underground than green and leafy. 
Along alpine rivulets and springs, in all the great mountain-ranges of 
Kurope and western Asia. Very common in the Scotch Highlands, ex- 
tending into the mountains of North Wales and north- western Engle 
but not recorded from Ireland. fl. swmmer. 
9. E. alpinum, Linn. (fig. 350). Alpine £.—This little plant is 
seldom more than 4 or 5 inches high, and often much shorter, decum- 
bent and much branched at the base, glabrous or nearly so; the 
autumnal scions usually above ground, slender and leafy, rarely short 
and tufted. Leaves more or less stalked, small, ovate or lanceolate, 
usually obtuse, and entirely or obscurely toothed. The stems have not 
the raised decurrent lines of F. rosewm, but are only marked occasionally 
with faint downy lines. The flowers, although as small as in LZ. palustre, 
appear large in proportion to the size of the plant, they are few in the 
axils of the upper leaves, forming short, leafy racemes. Buds nodding. 
Petals notched. Stigma club-shaped, entire or nearly so. Pod 1 to 
2 inches long, narrowed at the base into a long stalk. [The stolons 
are rosulate, but £. anagallidifolium is a form in which they are 
elongate. ] 
