68 THE PINK FAMILY. [Arenaria. 
lines long. Sepals 1} to near 2 lines long, pointed, with three very pro- 
minent nerves. Petals obovate, spreading beyond the points of the sepals. 
Capsule 38-valved. Alsine verna, Wahib. 
In stony or mountain pastures, almost all over the continent of Europe 
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. A high northern and Arctic variety, extending to 
some of the highest mountains of Scotland, has been distinguished under 
the name of A. dirta, Wormsk. (A. 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. 
9, A. uliginosa, Schleich. (fig. 151). Bog Sandwort.—-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. 
3 A, tenuifolia, Linn. (fig. 152). Fine-leaved Sandwort.—A very slen- 
der, erect, much branched annual, glabrous or very minutely downy, 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. 
4, &. peploides, Linn. (fig. 153). Ovate Sandwort, 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 23 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 Arenaria.  Honckeneya peploides, 
Ebrh. 
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. 154).  Thyme-leaved Sandwort.—A 
very much branched, slender, and slightly downy annual, seldom attaining 
G inches. eaves 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 13 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, 
