66 THE PINK FAMILY. [ Sagina, 
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 these parts are usually in fours, but they may 
often be met with in fives. 
In a great variety of situations, but especially in waste orstony places, 
wet or dry heaths, sandy marshes, etc., throughout Europe, in Russian and 
central Asia, North America, Australia, etc. Abundant in Britain. 7, 
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 S. apetala, Linn. ; in the 
S. ciliata, Fries.,the branches are more diffuse, glanduler-pubescent, and 
the sepals appressed to the capsule. A seacoast variety, called S. maritima, 
Don., presents the usual maritime differences of somewhat firmcr and 
thicker stems and leaves, is glabrous, and has broad obtuse sepals, suberect 
in fruit. 
2. S. Linneei,; Presl. (fig. 147). Alpine Pearlwort.—Very near S. 
procumbens, but it forms an undoubtedly perennial stuck (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 seacoast 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. S. Linnei proper (S. saxatilis, Wimm.; Spergulasaginoides, Sm.), pro- 
strate, 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. S. subulata, Presl. (Spergula subulata, Swartz). Tufted, more or 
less pubescent and glandular, leaves narrowed to the awned tip, petals not 
longer than the sepals. Common. | oe 
3. S. nodosa, Fenzl. (fig. 148). Knotted Pearlwort.—Like the last, 
this forms little perennial tufts, but as it often flowers the first year, it then 
le 
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 
S. Linnei, 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 otherspecies, 
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 ten stamens. 
_ In wet, sandy places, marshes and bogs, in northern and central Europe, 
Russian Asia, and northern America. Generally distributed over Britain. 
fl. summer. 
VI. CHERLERIA. CHERLERIA. 
Densely tufted, moss-like perennials, with closely packed leaves. Sepals 5. 
