68 THE PINK FAMILY. [Arenaria. 



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 Europe, but never common. 

 In Britain, only known on Widdybank Fell, in Durham. Fl. summer. 



4. A. temiifolia, Linn. (fig. 153). Fine-leaved S. — A very slender, 

 erect, much branched annual, glabrous or very minutely downy or glan- 

 dular above, 3 or 4 inches high. Leaves finely subulate. Pedicels very 

 slender, usually about half an inch long. Sepals narrow-lanceolate, finely 

 pointed. Petals obovate or oblong, usually scarcely half the length of 

 the sepals. Capsule opening in 3 valves. Alsine tenuifolia, Crantz. 



On old walls, stony wastes, or sandy fields, in central and southern 

 Europe, from southern Sweden to the 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 2J 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. Honclcenya peploides, 

 Ehrh. 



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). Thyme-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 

 H 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 Europe and 

 central and Russian Asia, except the extreme north. Common in Britain, 

 but more so in the south than in the north. 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. glutinosa, Koch. Shorter, stouter, more glandular. 



