66 THE PINK FAMILY. [Sagtna. 



subulate, joined at the base in a short, broad, scarious sheath, the radical 

 ones longer, and often tufted. Flowers very small, on capillary pedicels 

 much longer than the leaves. Sepals about a line 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. 

 In a great 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 8, 

 apetala, Linn. ; in the S. ciliata, Fries., the branches are more diffuse, 

 glandular-pubescent, and the sepals appressed to the capsule. A sea- 

 coast variety, S. maritima, 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. LinnsBi, 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 

 Europe, 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. & Linncei 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. 8. 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). Knotted 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 8. 

 Linncei, 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 as the 

 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. Fl. summer. 



